Breathe
by ClubHoppers1328
Summary: Jaiden Mooreland and Riley Porter are two beautiful, wonderful girls who happen to have fallen in love with two of CSI's own: Warrick Brown and Greg Sanders. When a serial rapist abducts them during a birthday party, the whole CSI team races to save them.
1. Chapter 1

1

"So, what've we got?"

Catherine Willows, a lovely, middle-aged woman with strawberry blonde hair approached the caution-taped perimeter with Gil Grissom, an older and grayer man. Both of them carried silver cases along, and their matching vests labeled LVPD. Behind them, three other males and a woman walked along, talking to each other.

"A dual 420 and 426. Same as last time," Captain Jim Brass answered. His little black notebook was flipped open to a partially filled page. The stout but smart man looked at the group of Crime Scene Investigators, or CSIs, and sighed.

"Vics names are Tara Harris and Daniela Johns. College girls and roommates to boot." Warrick Brown, a tall, dark skinned man lifted the yellow caution tape and allowed Catherine and the other men through before entering the crime scene himself.

Greg Sanders, a wild-looking young man, and Sara Sidle, a pretty, brown-haired woman, peered down at the bodies. The victims were two women of about the same age. However, the most disturbing attribute that the women shared was the fact that their heads, arms, and legs had been switched and stitched to the opposite body. The bodies were positioned so that they were facing each other.

"Maybe our sick little friend left something behind this time," Nick Stokes, a handsome Texan, muttered as he crouched down near the bodies. He knew it was a fat chance, but he had to hope. Their killer had been working for the past few years and had yet to be caught.

"What'd Dave say?" Warrick asked Nick. Nick looked at the blanched coroner, who stood a distance away talking to Grissom.

"COD was the same as the previous cases and the cuts were the same. He also said something about the stitching being rushed. That's pretty much it," he replied. Warrick frowned. Why would the killer be rushing? He shook his head and began processing the other body.

Catherine and Grissom observed the location of the crime scene. It was completely different from the last dumpsite. Unlike the urban area they had found the previous two victims, these bodies had been found along I-15, where there was nothing to see except desert.

Brass came up behind them. "We've got no witnesses whatsoever. That doesn't surprise me any, considering that the bodies were dumped clear out here. Anything useful up there?" he asked when he saw that Grissom was staring up at the night sky. The night was clear and one could see some of the stars.

"I beg to differ, Captain Brass. We have millions of witnesses; unfortunately for us, they're unavailable for questioning," Grissom replied, his eyes still locked on the heavens. Brass rolled his eyes and trudged away. Catherine sighed again, knowing that something like that was bound to come out.

* * *

"Well?" Warrick asked with slight impatience. Greg shook his head sorrowfully.

"Nothing different from last time. No foreign DNA, hair, or anything. Not even a print," he sighed, slouching in his chair. "This guy is unbelievable."

"Damn," Warrick muttered under his breath. "He abducts them, drugs them, rapes them, and then switches their heads and limbs without leaving anything of his person behind. 'The Phantom', huh? He was appropriately nicknamed."

"Hey guys, it's getting kind of late. There's nothing more we can do right now, so why don't you head on home?" Catherine sighed from the door to the lab. Warrick inclined his head in response and trudged to the locker room. Greg remained behind.

* * *

Warrick sat in his car for a while, trying to get rid of the building frustration before he went home to his girlfriend. He had been seeing Jaiden Mooreland for about a year now and had been living with her for six months and counting.

He had met Jaiden at Starbucks. Somehow, for it was a complete mystery to them, they had gotten each other's orders; he ended up with her Caffé Verona and she his House Blend. After realizing the mix-up, the two tracked each other down and ended up spending the rest of the time chatting and flirting.

He like her green eyes the best. She was lovely woman, with long and luscious black hair and an equally enticing body; yet it was the way her eyes easily changed from soft and welcoming to sharp and deadly that made him like her eyes. She spoke her mind through her eyes, a talent that must have been very well developed over time.

She came from a wealthy family, inheriting most of her current fortune from her father after he died of leukemia five years ago. Her mother, who lived in New Jersey, chose to distance herself from her daughter. It was made clear to him through Jaiden that her parents only married to get to the money the other held.

As a well-known photographer, Jaiden made a name for herself taking photos of everything from children to showgirls. She had a studio of her own, which was located in the back of her house, which looked more like a warehouse than anything else. She never really expected him to buy expensive gifts. She was well enough off to buy her own expensive things, which was apparent due to the large amount of designer fashion and jewelry that she kept in her closet. That never stopped him, though.

His thoughts went back to the most recent gift as he pulled out of the parking lot.

_Warrick had followed her into her closet and leaned against the doorpost. "What are you doing?" he asked softly. He had removed his leather jacket and had unbuttoned his tan shirt. Jaiden glanced at him through the full-length mirror that she was looking in. _

"_Deciding what I'm wearing to Sara's birthday party tomorrow night," she replied simply, "and relaxing." Warrick chuckled. He scanned all her eveningwear and grinned. _

"_Then you might have to go shopping," he said, "because from what I can tell, nothing you own will go well with this." With that, he pulled a sparkling necklace from his pants pocket and slipped it around Jaiden's neck. It was a long, sterling silver chair with a gorgeous peridot pendant dangling from it. Jaiden gasped slightly as she touched the precious stone._

"_Warrick," she whispered, "it's beautiful!" She turned around and kissed him softly. The soft kiss quickly melted into a passionate one as Warrick gently pushed her up against the wall. Things were beginning to escalate when Warrick's phone rang imperiously. _

_Warrick cursed under his breath and pulled away from Jaiden to answer. "Brown," he said into the mouthpiece. Jaiden crossed her arms over her chest and waited patiently. _

"_Yeah… I'll be right there," she heard him say to whomever he was talking to. He hung up and looked at Jaiden apologetically. She shook her head._

"_Go, they need you more I guess," she sighed. Warrick kissed her tenderly and headed out of the closet. Jaiden followed him and stood in the door leading to the garage, watching him slide into the driver's seat of his Tahoe._

"_I'll call you when I get an idea of how long I'm going to be," he said to her over the engine. Jaiden nodded and rested her head on the doorpost as he pulled out. _

When Warrick got home, Jaiden still hadn't come home from her shopping excursion. He sighed and tossed the keys onto the table. He wasn't hungry; his frustration temporarily fed his hunger. He headed straight for the shower and hoped that a hot, relaxing shower would unnerve him.

After the shower and a quick change into a clean pair of jeans and a bleached undershirt, Warrick padded down the stairs and spotted Jaiden cleaning her camera.

He snuck up behind her silently and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Jaiden gasped and turned her head, looking at him with a surprised expression. "You smell nice," she observed. Warrick gave a small laugh.

"That's what happens when you take a shower," he whispered before kissing her. All of his stress and confusion turned into passion and inevitable lust. Jaiden felt the invisible change and pulled back for a moment.

"That bad, huh?" she asked quietly. She had turned herself around and placed her camera back in its case. Her hair was loose and seemingly untamed. Ebony waves blanketed her shoulders and parts of her face while a rosy flush had tinted her cheeks. Her breathing was slightly heavier than usual from the sudden rush of desire.

"Just shut up and kiss me," he whispered in reply. He meant it playfully, but he knew it came out harshly. Jaiden pulled back even more. A frown tainted her face.

"It must've been really bad for you to forget who you're talking to. I'm your girlfriend, not some prostitute ready to give it up at any given moment." With that, she went into the adjacent kitchen where some dishes were begging to be cleaned. Warrick cursed at himself and was willing to kick himself if God had given him the ability.

"Jaiden, Jaiden listen. I'm sorry. It has been really frustrating," he confessed as he followed her into the kitchen. Jaiden ignored him and turned on the water. He stepped forward tentatively.

"Please, forgive me," he added softly when he saw her shoulders slacken. He came up behind her again and kissed her cheek so gently that she turned her head to feel more. Warrick felt encourage by her response, which was turning off the faucet. His lips brushed her neck as he wound an arm around her waist.

"Kissing is like drinking salted water. You drink, and your thirst increases," she whispered. Warrick gave her a serious look after kissing her again.

"You know I hate it when you start talking like Grissom during foreplay." Jaiden smiled and kissed him tenderly.

"A kiss is the upper persuasion for a lower invasion." With that, she half danced, half walked over to the stairs with Warrick following behind, a smile on his face. He charged her from behind and scooped her up into his arms, then proceeded to carry her into the bedroom, where he slammed the door shut with his foot.

Hours later, Warrick felt his stomach beg to be fed properly. Jaiden was still sound asleep, her body an illuminated silhouette. He kissed her shoulder softly then slid out of bed, putting on a pair of boxers and his jeans that he had discarded earlier that night. He quietly ambled down the stairs and flipped on the kitchen light.

He had gotten out some of the cold Chinese food from a few nights ago and heated it up when Jaiden appeared at the top of the stair. Warrick squinted at her, his eyes not used to the change in lighting.

"Go back to bed, I didn't eat dinner," he said to her kindly. Jaiden seemed to smile at his comment, wanting so much to differ, but decided against it. She had changed into some blue satin boxers of her own and a white camisole.

"Really, I didn't notice," she murmured as she opened up the freezer in order to extract the pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream she had bought earlier last week. She set it down on the counter, grabbed a spoon from the now clean dishwasher, and lifted herself onto the black, linoleum countertop.

Warrick shrugged and dug into the beef and broccoli he had heated up. "You going to the lab later?" she asked. Warrick glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and sighed. It was one in the morning. He nodded. "I see, I'm picking up my car whether it's actually done or not and I'll meet you at the Bellagio at seven." She started for the stairs, but stopped at the landing.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth after that," she reminded him before heading back to bed. Warrick chuckled quietly then finished his meal.

When six o'clock finally rolled around, Warrick was already out of bed and dressed. He sat in the chair next to the bed and watch Jaiden sleep for a few more minutes with his arms resting on his knees. In his closed hands was a small, black box that contained some portion of his life. It wasn't the right time for him, and knowing Jaiden, for her either. He stuffed the box into his pants pocket and gazed at her sleeping figure. He got up, leaned over her and brushed hair from her face before kissing her forehead.

He half expected her to wake up suddenly, her green and gray eyes piercing his own green and brown ones. She didn't, which gave some comfort to him. He had already checked her schedule. She was free today. She didn't have much reason to go out except to get her car before meeting him at the Bellagio at seven. She'd most likely be safe another day.

He was halfway out the door to the garage when he heard something move behind him. "Don't forget to close the garage door." He looked up, startled at the sudden comment. Jaiden was miraculously awake and half dressed. She was leaning on the banister and gazing at him pointedly. She meant what she had said. Her face softened when he grinned at her from below.

"I won't, love," he told her gently. She turned and went into the bathroom and turned on the shower after waving to him.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Greg stared at the test results aimlessly. When his stomach growled angrily at him, he snapped out of his sullen reverie and sighed.

"You sound hungry," a soft voice pointed out from the door to the chem. lab. Greg looked up and saw Riley Porter, his girlfriend of a year, standing in the doorway, smiling. He smiled back at her gently.

"What are you doing here? You aren't on this case," he said. Riley shrugged.

"I was finishing up a separate case. I was actually on my way out and I wanted to see if you could give me a lift. Jaiden was the one who dropped me off after we finished shopping for tomorrow," she replied. Riley was a sketch artist and sometimes helped in the lab.

Greg nodded and thought about what had happened at breakfast that morning that caused some friction between Jaiden and himself.

"_I'll take care of this," Warrick said as he slid out of the booth. Jaiden, Riley, and Greg looked at him._

"_Are you sure? I could take it," Jaiden said in reply. He gave her a final look and headed to the counter to pay. Greg, feeling the effects of chugging three glasses of milk, rushed to the bathroom, leaving the girls alone talking. When he returned, he felt the heat rise in his face when Jaiden was prying into their private problems._

"_You're having financial problems and you don't bother to tell me? You know I would help you in a heartbeat. I could give you--" _

"_We don't want or need, for that matter, your charity," he told her callously. Jaiden bit her bottom lip, restraining the urge to finish her sentence. Riley stared at him. _

"_I-I guess we're ready to get going," Jaiden said, switching the subject. She slid out of the booth and took Warrick's hand as he left the cashier's counter. Greg looked at Riley as they followed._

"_You told her?" he asked in a harsh whisper. Riley stared at him._

"_She more or less guessed it for herself! And you didn't have to go and tell her off! She was just offering help, like best friends often do," she snapped pointedly. Greg shook his head._

"_No, Riles, she was nosing about in something that really didn't concern her. When will you stop worshipping her and realize she a rich busybody?" he replied. Riley didn't respond as they re-entered the car. Jaiden was sitting in the front seat silently, her eyes fixed on the car in front of them. Warrick, not sure why exactly the talking had ceased, continued the silence as they swung by Riley's house to drop the pair of them off._

_Greg was awkwardly silent when they entered the house. He just sat at the table, his head in his hands. The veins in his hands seemed to pop out, as they usually did when he was upset or stressed. Riley walked over to him and gripped his hand. He looked up at her when he felt the chill and trembling in her hands. He stood up and squeezed her._

"_Riley, I'm not mad at you. I'm sorry if I seem that way. It's just…it's nothing." He bit his lip to keep it from quivering. _

"_Greg, I know you better than that. Please don't lie to me. Something's wrong."_

_A tear of frustration dripped down his soft cheek, and she wiped it away as he answered her. "I just, I don't like people to know that we're not so financially 'OK.'" She gave him a questioning look, and he looked her in the eyes, opening his windows for her, so she could see his emotional weaknesses. "If we're not rich like Jaiden, then that means I'm not taking care of you the way I need to, the way I want to. I feel like because we're on the broke side, and because I'm only half the man Warrick is, that you won't want to be with me when I really need you. It's like, because I can't afford to buy you all the things you want, I'm not giving you what you really deserve. And when other people know about it, it makes me feel even worse, especially when they want to help. It's like I'm not strong enough to take care of you."_

"_Greggars Hojem Sanders, I'll have you know, if we were dirt poor and lived under a bridge, I would still love you. It doesn't matter to me how much money you make. Yes, it's nice to have extra things like Warrick and Jaiden do, but if we don't have it, we'll survive. We've made it this far, and we'll keep making it. Don't worry about them. In this case, they don't matter. If you think you need to make me happy, know that you already have by giving me the love you hold inside. No one else knows you like I do, and I find that to be quite an honor. Don't beat yourself up over this. We will make it through."_

Her last sentence had remained with him for the rest of the day. When they had returned to the house, Riley suggested watching a movie to relax.

"I think we need to unwind a little before bed," she coaxed. Greg shrugged.

"As long as I get to pick the movie," he replied. Riley smiled and nodded in agreement. She went to make popcorn, and he picked out her favorite movie, _The Matrix: Reloaded_. She came back in with a huge bowl of popcorn and plopped down next to him. Greg sat sideways and outstretched his legs wide enough for her to be able to sit there and lean back against him. It was their favorite way to be, and they had fallen asleep that way many times. As they watched the movie, Greg felt Riley's body seem to loosen as the scene between Neo and Trinity played, so he wrapped his arms around her abdomen. As he did, she bent over and clenched her stomach, pushing his hands out of the way. At first she panted, and then groaned heavily.

"Riley! What the crap is going on? Are you alright?" He quickly sat up and rubbed her back.

She shook her head and sprayed a few droplets of salty tears. She managed to whisper, "Stomach cramp." Greg looked rather shocked. Watching her curl up in a ball, he ran to get her some Midol. She quickly took it, and relaxed a little.

"Thank you Greg. Will you, will you help me into the bathroom?"

He gently picked her up and cradled her in his arms as he took her to the bathroom. He set her on the toilet, and turned away to give her a little privacy.

"Greg, I don't have any pads left." His face contorted in angst, but he slipped on his flip-flops and grabbed the car keys without saying anything about it. "I'm gonna take a hot bath, they say that helps. Thank you so much Greg. I love you." She blew him a kiss as he walked past. He blew her one back.

"Be back in ten."

While soaking in the tub, she thought about what had happened. She sighed and relaxed in the tub, not worrying about it. Every woman was bound to have her irregularities. Just because it made her feel good, she used Greg's soap. At this point, she really didn't care if she walked into work smelling like a man. It calmed her nerves, but a little too much.

When Greg returned with her necessities, he walked into the house, and it was too quiet. "Riley?" he said as he looked throughout the house.

He found her in the bathroom still, and sighed when he saw her in the tub. She smiled up at him gratefully when she spied the plastic bag. Greg let the inkling of worry drain from his heart.

She sat up. "What?" Greg shook his head dismissively.

"Nothing, I just—never mind." Riley frowned but let it go. Greg went back into the living room and started the movie again, making sure that the volume was up enough so Riley could hear it in the bathroom.


	3. Chapter 3

3

At seven o'clock, Monday night, Riley and Jaiden were waiting at the Bellagio for Warrick and Greg to show.

Riley wore a black dress with silver stitching. It was an off-the-shoulder style that still permitted her arms to move about freely. The little freckles on her shoulders drove Greg insane, and she loved to torment him with it. Her red and black dragon tattoo on her right ankle was visible.

Jaiden was also dressed in black and had a deep neckline. Made of mostly chiffon, it was a flirty item and with her sexy, three-inch heels, she was certain astonish Warrick. As Riley had mentioned earlier, it was flattering on her, and her necklace helped to dress it up. Jaiden checked her watch and frowned. "Where are those guys?"

Riley said nothing. The Tahoe finally pulled up and parked. Warrick jumped out, looking smooth in his black suit, green tie, and white shirt. His shoes were black and shiny. He pulled at his sleeves as he walked up to Jaiden and enveloped her in an embrace. Greg, however, was dressed in black pants and jacket, with a blue shirt and maroon-ish necktie. He had slicked his hair down, and Jaiden just put her hand over her mouth when she saw it.

Riley was much more blunt. She walked up to him, rubbed his head hard, and his hair instantly became like normal. She smiled, then grabbed his necktie and pulled him down to her level so she could kiss the top of his head.

"I swear by the messy hairs on this head, don't ever do that again. Don't make me out to be a liar by going and doing something like that!" Riley laughed as they walked into the Bellagio, her arm in his. Warrick took Jaiden's hand and twirled her slowly. Jaiden flashed a charming smile and tilted her head.

"What do you think?" she asked. Warrick grinned as he kissed her.

"We're going to be having one interesting after-party." Jaiden laughed and pulled him into the Bellagio. "We're going to be late if we don't hurry," she told him.

Inside, the two couples stopped at the front desk to get directions to where they were going. A tall man with long, blonde hair and soft grey eyes smiled at them. His nametag said Gabriel. "Hello, and welcome to the Bellagio. How may I help you?"

"We're looking for a party being held by a Sara Sidle. Where would we be going?" Jaiden asked Gabriel. Warrick looked at Gabriel, staring at him a little bit.

"Ah, yes, come this way." Gabriel said, escorting the group to the Monet rooms where the rest of the CSI were. Nobody noticed the way he glanced back to look at the two girls as he walked. A small smile crept onto his face.

"You ladies look lovely," he added when he opened the doors to the Monet Rooms. Jaiden and Riley smiled at him politely while the two men stared him down.

Sara walked over to them. "Guys, I'm so glad you could make it! Come on, come in, and have some food. We're getting ready to dance, so hurry!"

The two men scurried over to where the rest of the night-shift crew was gathering, leaving the girls alone at the buffet tables. Jaiden and Riley exchanged looks then sighed simultaneously. "We'll give them ten minutes until we reclaim our property," Jaiden said as she picked up a plate. Riley nodded.

"It's amazing how big of jerks they can become," she replied. Jaiden shrugged.

"They're guys. They may look different, but they all work the same. Even Grissom, I'm sure." Riley snorted. Grissom was a definite male anomaly.

Jaiden sat down at a small table near the dance floor and scanned the crowd. Most of the crime lab had been invited and showed up. There were some people there that Jaiden hadn't met and vice versa.

After turning down three hopeful men, Jaiden took Riley by the hand and walked over to the "night-shift corner". The disappointed men she had left behind watched interestedly.

"She's going after Brown? He's one of the biggest fish in the pond," one of them muttered to the others. They nodded in agreement. Jaiden walked up calmly, greeted the others around Warrick, and then took his tie in her fist.

"I'm sure whatever you were chatting about was important and really interesting, but I'm reclaiming some lost baggage," she told the others as she dragged Warrick away from the circle. The men, who were watching her, gaped. _She's one determined woman,_ her first reject thought.

"Hey, hey, watch the neck that's attached to the tie," Warrick laughed. Jaiden let go of his tie and took his hands. They touched foreheads just as the song changed into a slow, gentle beat. Jaiden wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled it as he wrapped his own arms around her waist. They spun in slow, rhythmic circles as the song played on.

While they danced, Greg and Riley slipped into a separate room, closing the door behind them and securely locking it. Jaiden and Warrick looked on with slight grins on their faces. "Apparently those freckles work wonders," Jaiden murmured. Warrick chuckled quietly and kissed her cheek as the song ended.

"I forgot how much I like dancing with you," he whispered in her ear. Jaiden gave him an offhand look.

"Shame on you, then," she replied. Taking her by the hand, he brought her over to a table and pulled out a chair for her. Jaiden, whose feet were screaming angrily at her for standing up for so long, sat down gratefully. He sat down next to her and waved down a waiter that was roaming the area.

"Two champagnes, please," he ordered. The waiter, a lovely blonde woman, nodded and flashed him a flirtatious smile. Jaiden rolled her eyes as she left.

"I forgot how insufferable you make all the waitresses when we go out," she muttered. Warrick shrugged. He took her chin in his hand and pulled her close.

"They've got nothing on you, babe," he whispered as he kissed her softly. Jaiden melted into it, as she normally did, and nibbled on his lower lip. She broke off, though, when she spotted Riley and Greg coming out of their hiding place.

"Did you enjoy yourselves?" she asked calmly, a small grin on her face. Riley flashed a sly smile.

"Very much, thanks for asking," she replied as she sat down next to her. Greg, whose hair was a little messier than earlier, retreated to the bathroom.

The girls erupted into an animated conversation about peoples' clothing as Greg returned, plopping down next to Riley.

The whole night-shift crew striding over quickly interrupted their comfortable conversation. Warrick and Greg looked at them questioningly while Jaiden and Riley exchanged knowing glances. Their evening was over.

"We've got to go. Mia thinks she may have found something," Grissom told the two men. Warrick and Greg nearly leapt from the table at the news. Warrick kissed Jaiden quickly.

"We've got to go, this is a huge case," he explained. Jaiden blinked and nodded.

"I've got my car back, so I'm okay. I think I'll stay a little while, if that's okay with Riles." She looked at Riley, who had just given Greg a similar good-bye kiss. She met Jaiden's glance.

"I'm in no rush. I'm not part of this particular investigation," she replied with a shrug. Jaiden inclined her head and pushed Warrick on.

"Get going, I'd like you home at a reasonable hour," she said, shoving him gently. When they had left, the girls slumped in their chairs.

"Sometimes I hate going out with them," Jaiden sighed. Riley nodded.

"They always have to leave when things were getting fun," she muttered. Jaiden looked in the direction of the patio. No one was out there, it was a lovely night, and they were bored otherwise.

"You want to sit on the patio? It's warm out," she suggested as she slipped off her shoes. Riley shrugged and followed suit. They didn't notice the face of the waiter they had picked up their glasses of champagne from; they didn't notice the quickly dissolving tablets in the drinks either.

They entered the patio, both laughing at what Riley had said concerning Greg. "Anyway, I was cleaning out the linen closet and I found some of Greg's old sheets. You wouldn't believe what he had on some of them! I mean, he had a set of Batman, two sets of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and one Spider-Man. I was cracking up so hard," Riley told Jaiden. Jaiden started laughing and soon began swaying. Riley looked at her oddly, but ignored it. They had been on the patio for about fifteen minutes and slowly losing consciousness. Before they knew it, they were lying on the floor lifelessly and were being lowered over the railing with a thick rope.


	4. Chapter 4

4

"Well?" Grissom asked Mia, who was sitting at the conference table, a triumphant smile on her face.

"I was looking over the photos of the bodies when I noticed that there seemed to be a small blood spatter on one of their necks. I didn't think much of it, but when I looked at the bodies themselves, I realized that it was the only evidence of blood on them. So I swabbed it and tested it for a match to the victims. No go," she explained as she handed them a print off of her findings. "The DNA matches a Blake Bronson. Years ago, his own mother and cousin raped him. Apparently, he was put into foster care, but refused to go with any of the families he had been placed with. He was suffering from severe psychological issues until he started taking medications. His current whereabouts are unknown." Warrick gave a bitter snort. Mia glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Anyway, his rape occurred on Mother's Day, which was yesterday, if anyone noticed. That explains the rushed stitching, he was probably really angry." Grissom looked at the photos that were splayed in front of him.

"Why switch their heads?" he asked her. Mia shrugged.

"That's the one thing I don't know about it. You'll have to ask him."

"It seems our Phantom has been unmasked." Warrick and Greg exchanged worried glances. Both prayed that Jaiden and Riley were already home and waiting for them.

* * *

"Did you see Jaiden and Riley leave?" Sara asked one of the servers. He looked back at her blankly.

"Who, Miss Sidle?" he asked in reply. Sara sighed.

"A tall, black haired woman and a shorter, brunette. Did you see them leave? They were both wearing black dresses," she repeated more clearly. The man furrowed his brow in thought.

"Did the black haired one have green eyes?" he asked. Sara nodded vigorously. "Last I saw them, they were on the patio. I don't think I saw them leave."

Sara walked over to the patio doors and opened them. She slipped outside, the warm air rushing at her. "Jaiden? Riley? Are you still out here?" she called into the night. When she heard no reply, she grew curious. She scaled the patio and stopped dead when she came upon their abandoned shoes and purses.

She fumbled with her phone as she called Grissom. "Hello?" he asked. Sara took a deep breath.

"They're gone, both of them," she breathed into the phone.

* * *

When Jaiden came to, she was disoriented and nauseated. She attempted to focus on the setting, but all she could see was black. Jaiden brought her hands up to her face and felt a rough piece of cloth disabling her vision. Her hands were tightly bound, but her legs were free.

"Riley, are you here?" she whispered loudly, she felt the words barely make it off her tongue, as though she were drunk. She felt a wave of relief rush over her when she heard Riley's voice.

"Jaiden, where are you?" Jaiden extended her hands blindly. Jaiden noticed her words were slurring together as well.

"Where are we?" Riley asked. Jaiden shook her head, although she knew Riley couldn't see her.

"I have no idea."

"Never you mind where you are," a voice chortled inhumanly. Both women's heads snapped towards the direction of sound.

"What the hell do you want with us?" she spat angrily. She heard another sickening chuckle before an actual answer came.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like you can do anything about it; you're both doomed to die," the voice replied. Jaiden could feel a little familiarity when the stranger spoke. She just couldn't place the voice with a face. She tried hard to focus, but struggled.

"Who are you?" she asked a little more quietly. She pushed herself up into a wobbly standing position. A rush of dizziness swept over her.

"And why are we here?" she added. Her bare feet felt the rough wooden planks beneath her feet. Her elbow brushed a window every now and then. She backed against the window and listened intently, hoping to gain some sense of where she was. She heard the distinct hoot of an owl and quickly decided they were in a forested area.

"Shut up and sit down," the voice commanded quietly. She could hear the impatience slip into his voice.

"You must be a coward," she murmured loudly.

"I said sit down and SHUT UP!" the voice yelled as he struck her hard across the face. The blow forced her entire body backwards, her head slamming against the window and breaking it. Her blindfold slipped off her head and she was able to see the faint outline of a tall, lean man. However, even with the blindfold off, it was still impossible to see anything for the room that they were in was pitch black and the only light came from behind a firmly closed door.

"Jaiden, Jaiden are you okay?" Riley asked desperately. Jaiden slid herself into a sitting position and leaned against the wall behind her.

"I'm okay," she whispered as the stranger left the room, retreating behind the closed door. "Come here," she commanded gently. Riley slid closer. Jaiden took a firm hold of the blindfold constricting her friend's eyesight and slipped it off her head.

Riley blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She turned towards Jaiden, who was gingerly feeling the back of her head. She looked at her hands and sighed.

"No blood, just a major headache." Riley gave a wry smile.

"That's good," she murmured. "Warrick would kill you if you had to cut your hair." She heard Jaiden inhale sharply, as though she were fighting back tears.

"Greg wouldn't pass up the opportunity to tease me senseless," she replied shakily. Riley blinked back tears at the thought of Greg.

"We'll just have to hope that they figure out where we are really soon," she sighed, resting her head on Jaiden's shoulder.

Jaiden looked down at her, a single tear streaming down her face. "Yeah, I guess we will."

* * *

Grissom rushed into the conference room where the CSIs all gathered. Catherine caught sight of his expression and felt a lump grow in her throat. Not moments earlier, he had called Sara to see if Jaiden and Riley were still there. It had been unanimously voted that they would be brought to the lab so they could be safe in any sense of the word.

"They're not there, are they?" she breathed. Warrick and Greg stared at Grissom, each hoping he had the opposite to say. When he shook his head, their hearts shattered.

"I want everybody to get their kits to process that scene. We _are_ going to find them," he said sharply. Everyone scrambled from the room, hoping that the girls were still alive.

When they had arrived at the crime scene, everyone scattered. Catherine, Greg, and Nick processed the inside while Grissom and Warrick processed the patio. Sara, who had left her kit at home, had rushed off to retrieve it.

"I've got some fibers over here," Grissom said, alerting Warrick. He carefully picked up the three thick fibers off the railing and put them in an evidence bag. He handed it to Warrick. "It looks like rope fibers to me." Warrick handed them back and looked over the railing at the ground below. There was a distinct impression on the ground. He rushed down the stone stairs to the spot on the ground.

He crouched down and looked it over. Two bodies definitely occupied this space. He noticed a few thin fibers near one edge of the impression. He picked them up and put them in a bag. His eye then spotted something glinting at him from the opposite end of the impression. He walked over to it slowly and caught his breath.

It was Jaiden's peridot necklace.


	5. Chapter 5

5

Greg sat in a chair, his head in his hands, his entire body shaking. He couldn't stop imagining Riley as he had seen the other girls, lying on the ground, her body mangled. His eyes watered uncontrollably, and he sobbed loudly.

Nick looked over at him and he felt terrible. However, he didn't know what to say to him to make him feel better. Nick really didn't know either of the girls that well, but he had been in their shoes once or twice, and said a silent prayer that they would keep their cool throughout.

* * *

Down on the ground, Warrick picked up the necklace he had given Jaiden. He squeezed it in his hands in the anger of letting her out of his sight. As he paced, he racked his brain, and in that time, he spotted some tire tracks, probably from the vehicle used to take the girls. Warrick slowly followed them, his heart racing.

To keep himself sane, he pretended as if Jaiden were right next to him, helping him on the case concerning someone else. It seemed to calm his nerves, just imagining her with him. He blocked the thought of what would happen to her if he didn't focus on this part of his job. The tracks led to a small back road, and he saw some fresh skid-marks on the pavement.

"GRISSOM!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The older man rushed to him.

"What is it Warrick?" Warrick pointed to the marks, and Grissom immediately froze. Using his flashlight, Warrick also spotted some black fabric, and knew right away that it was part of a dress. He bagged it, and they continued their search.

* * *

Back in the ballroom, Greg was still panicking. He used his fists to beat against the walls. Catherine had moved out to the patio since Grissom and Warrick had left to follow tracks. She smelled something odd. Using the air tester Warrick had persuaded Grissom to buy a few years ago, she tested the air. It was gasoline. She even found some droplets on the floor.

She yelled to Nick, "Get this back to trace, pronto!" She tossed him the swabs, and he took off in his car to head back to the lab.

* * *

Down at the road, Grissom spotted something key to the scene. "Diesel," he said. "This car had a leaky gas tank." Warrick took photographs of the tracks, and noticed something odd. When continuous treads would have been, there was only a large blank spot.

"What is this? It looks like something was put over the tire."

"I bet it's a patch. Someone or something most likely sliced his tires. Another clue to out mystery machine." Warrick stood as Grissom knelt down to get a closer look.

Warrick sighed, and folded his arms in front of his chest, pacing and cursing under his breath. "I hate this, Grissom. I've got to find her." His voice was low, and stress was completely apparent.

"Warrick, the more you worry, the worse you will do when looking for evidence. I know this is hard, but please, focus. For Jaiden's sake."

* * *

Back at the lab, Nick paced around as he waited for Mia to finish processing the gasoline. Mia tried to hurry to attempt to calm Nick's nerves. However, the results weren't helpful.

"Nick, this is your average diesel fuel. Sold just about at any station. No specific brand, nothing special about it at all. I'm sorry."

Nick bit his lip, and slammed his clenched fist. On his cell, Nick called Catherine. "It's just diesel. It's getting us nowhere."

Catherine hung up her phone, and ran her fingers through her hair. She got an idea, and flipped open her cell phone again. "Hello? Catherine Willows from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. I need search helicopters, ASAP."

* * *

In the cabin, Riley and Jaiden were piled together on the floor of the cabin, trying to keep each other sane. Riley was silent, but Jaiden seemed to read her mind, and knew she was crying. She hugged her and wiped her hair out of her face. "We're going to be alright, Riley. Just keep calm. Don't worry. We're still together. We're going to get out of here, somehow."

Riley still refused to speak. They sat in silence until their captor spoke up. "Good morning, girls. Did you sleep well?"

Neither one answered him. Jaiden wanted to find him and manage to curl her fingers around his neck until she didn't have to anymore. Her face was bruised from being thrown around so much, and she felt some swelling. Her eyes burned with anger as she stared at the dark shadow of the man. She couldn't see his face well, but she decided that he had to be an ugly man to be able to do such a thing.

Riley finally said something, it was barely audible, but Jaiden understood it perfectly: "Greg." Jaiden looked at her, not sure whether to be glad that Riley was still sane enough to think about Greg, or whether she should worry that Riley was thinking that their captor _was _Greg.

The man stepped closer, bending down in front of Riley. She didn't even blink as he touched the side of her face, gently stroking her hair. He noticed that her face was wet from her tears. "Why is such a pretty girl like you crying?"

She stifled a sob, and again repeated her favorite word: "Greg."

He took her by the arm, his hands rough to the touch, and pulled her to her feet. She did not attempt to struggle, no voluntary movement at all. Jaiden was surprised she was even breathing.

Riley made no noise no screams. Her mind tried to think, but her thoughts were scattered. The man led her to another room, pulling on her arm. Because she didn't move, it ended up that he more or less drug her into the room, and he let her fall to the floor, dirt and dust flying around after she hit. She laid their, face up, staring at the man.

She finally got a good view of him, and locked it in her memory: he had a long face, his jaw square and prominent. His eyes were small, a soft grey in color, and shadowed by the lack of light. She noticed his hair was a soft dirty blond, his furrowed eyebrows matching. His nose was sharp, and narrow at the bridge. He seemed decently muscular, but it was hard to tell because he was wearing baggy black clothes. As she lay on the ground, he crouched over her, running his hand along her neck, across her shoulder, and eventually down her arm.

Something inside Riley finally exploded, because in an unpredictable fury, she glared at the man and cuffed him on his left temple with her fists. A loud crack resonated in the room, and he stood up quickly, staggering from the blow. She saw blood trickle from his head, and she felt somewhat satisfied. Anger crossed his face as he bent down again.

"Don't try that again, girl. I don't advise it. It may get you killed faster. And you wouldn't want that, now would you? "He glowered at her, trying to seem more powerful than he really was.

He said nothing again, but simply finished his signature torment, Riley screaming and attempting to beat him to a pulp as he raped her harshly.


	6. Chapter 6

6

A few hours after Riley had been thrown from the room, the man fell asleep. She had tried to clean Riley up the best she could; she had straighten up her dress with her hands bound and brushed some hair from her face.

The next few hours seemed to pass by slowly. Jaiden waited as patiently as she could under the circumstances; she knew she was next. She knew she was bound to the same fate as Riley. Her thoughts fluttered back to Warrick occasionally; they mostly consisted of memories.

_Jaiden skirted the outer rim of the dance floor. She was interested in finding a male model, which worked out considering that the majority of the dancers were men looking for women to have a good time. She fingered the tips of her hair thoughtfully, although she knew it looked like she was flirting. Her heart stopped when she felt someone wrap his arms around her waist. Panicking, she pushed the stranger away. _

"_Hey, girl, quit struggling," a smooth, warm voice murmured in her ear. She looked up into the stranger's face and blinked blankly. Warrick was looking down at her, a surprised look on his face._

"_W-what are you doing here?" she asked. Warrick flashed his charming smile, melting her heart. He led her to a VIP room, closing and locking the door behind him. She turned and looked at him expectantly._

"_What does it matter?" he replied. Jaiden shrugged, absently playing with her hair. She sat down on the large, bed-like couch._

The man looked at her curiously. He knew he had used a date rape drug on the both of them, but he didn't know the exact side effects. The first one had nearly beaten him to death until he managed to pin her arms down and this one was acting as though he wasn't there.

"Warrick, what's wrong?" she asked as she looked straight at him. He thought quickly, wondering how this could work in his advantage. He'd be done a lot faster, and he'd have a little less resistance so long as she thought he was this Warrick. He approached her slowly, still cautious.

"Nothing, honey. What are you doing here?" he asked. Jaiden shrugged as she sat on the small cot that acted as the bed.

"Scouting, for models," she replied. She had tilted her head coyly to the side.

"_Why here?" Warrick asked her. Jaiden gave him a smile._

"_This is where all the guys go to get their newest thrills isn't it?" Warrick had slid off his red shirt, sweat beading on his face. Jaiden swung her legs over the edge of the couch and kicked them in a child-like manner. _

"_I guess, but…" Jaiden looked up at him curiously. He had moved closer to her. She admired how his muscular torso glistened slightly with sweat._

"_You must have had a work out," she murmured. She connected the dots quickly and stood up, meeting him. "How did you get this room?"_

"_I have some friends," he whispered, stroking her hair and face. Jaiden turned her head in the direction of his hand, suddenly feeling weak._

_Jaiden kissed him softly, her heart pounding frantically against her chest. Warrick replied passionately, moving her closer to the couch. He didn't bother with her dress._

Riley was still asleep, in any sense of the word, when Jaiden was ejected from the room. Jaiden, still thinking she was with Warrick, was in tears. She buried her face in her hands, rocking gently back and forth. She slumped over, falling gently onto the floor with sleep a few minutes later.

"War… Warrick," was all she could force out.

* * *

Catherine pushed her headphones against her ears, struggling to hear what the pilot was telling her about the terrain over the roar of the blades above her. She wasn't a fan of helicopters; she preferred cars.

"Is there anything in particular we should be looking for?" the pilot asked, shouting. Catherine looked down, sucking in her breath as she did so.

"Any vehicle that might run off diesel, but I don't think you could spot that from up here!" she shouted back in reply. She saw the pilot laugh a little, although she couldn't hear the sound.

"You'd be surprised what we can see up here!" he told her. Catherine looked out the window again, her eyes scanning over the desert-like area that made up most of Nevada. _Come on, girls,_ she thought, _hang on a bit longer._

* * *

Riley started when she heard an abrupt roar coming from outside. She blinked against the rays of light coming from the open door. She raised her hands in order to shield her eyes and heard the screech of rubber on pavement as a vehicle departed, the light fading away with the sound. Her head was throbbing, as though she had a major hangover. She focused her eyes on something, looked down, and saw that Jaiden was barely coming to.

"Hey, Jaiden," she murmured, putting her hands on her friend's shoulder. "Are you okay?" Jaiden touched her head gingerly, a dull headache penetrating her thoughts. She was mumbling incoherently, looking around anxiously.

"Warrick, where's Warrick?" she asked in a hushed tone. Riley furrowed her brow as she frowned.

"Warrick? What are you talking about?" she asked. She pushed herself up, barely standing. She analyzed the situation quickly, in case the man hadn't left. The door was still partly open, but she noticed that it was still dark outside. She heard nothing from outside, except the sounds of nature around them. She examined the window, noticing that she could reach the latch that was on the outside through the broken window. She fiddled with the latch quickly, hoping that it hadn't rusted itself shut.

"Warrick was here, Riley. He had to have been. He was talking to me; he was kissing me; we even had--" Jaiden realized what she was saying and gasped. Her eyes were wide with shock and disgust. It wasn't Warrick; it was their captor. She moaned and began rocking furiously again. Her mind was racing and her breathing was picking up speed. Riley pushed the window open and grabbed Jaiden's arm.

"Come on, Jaiden. Let's get out of here while we can," she hissed sharply. Jaiden shook her head, but allowed Riley to yank her up and force her out the window. Riley pushed a little too hard, forcing Jaiden to cut her foot on the shattered glass that littered the ground beneath the windowsill. Riley slid out the window carefully, watching where she was putting her feet.

"Let's go," she whispered loudly, grabbing Jaiden's arm and leading her into the sparse woods that surrounded the cabin. Jaiden hobbled along, her foot bleeding steadily but not rapidly. She sucked in her breath to keep from whining.

"Where are we going?" she asked quietly, glancing back behind them, worried that someone was following. Riley pulled her along harshly.

"We are getting out of here. Stop looking back, you'll start panicking," she ordered. Jaiden looked at her and blinked hard when Riley's head started to dim. Riley glanced up at the sky, hoping to get some idea of time. It was still dark, but not nearly as dark as it had been when they had first arrived.

After an hour and a half of navigating through the thin forest they had rushed into, they stumbled into a clearing. The paused on the edge long enough for Riley to declare it safe enough for them to reside in until they were given light by the sun. Jaiden swayed dangerously against Riley's body, her vision blurring and dimming rapidly.

"I think I need to lie down, Riles," she murmured, her speech starting to slur together again. Riley looked at her with alarm. The scurried as fast as they could into the clearing that was near some sort of lake. Jaiden blacked out suddenly, falling to the ground and dragging Riley down with her. Riley stifled a shriek as they fell and instead released a grunt.

She pulled Jaiden's unconscious body closer, hoping to keep her warm. "It's going to be fine. We're going to get home, we're going to use gallons upon gallons of water to wash this scum off us, and we're going to be with our guys again," she whispered comfortingly. She knew Jaiden couldn't hear her, but it was nice to hear.

* * *

"Wait! What's that, down there?" Catherine asked, alerting the pilot. He looked down to where she was pointing. He squinted and shouted to a man in the back who was handling the searchlight. The beam of light illuminated the spot Catherine was looking at, revealing two people huddled together for warmth.

"I think we've found them," the pilot told her as he lowered the chopper. They landed about a hundred yards away from the women. As soon as they touched ground, Catherine leapt from the helicopter and ran to bodies. She was beyond words when Riley looked at her, tears of relief streaming from her face.

"Thank God!" Catherine breathed. Riley looked at the paramedics, who were standing behind Catherine, waiting to take over.

"I think there's something wrong with Jaiden. She won't stop trembling," Riley told them as the lifted Jaiden's body onto a gurney. Riley allowed another paramedic to lead her to another waiting gurney. Catherine scanned the area, her hand on her holster. The CSI stayed there a few moments, and then headed back to the helicopter, taking another backward glance at the thin spread of trees that lined the lake they had found the girls at.


	7. Chapter 7

7

In the chopper, Catherine sat next to the two girls, feeling at a sense of loss. Jaiden was still quivering and still unconscious. Catherine turned away, but was startled when she felt Riley grasp her sleeve in desperation. The eyes of the young woman before her made Catherine's heart jump to her throat, and she swallowed back tears as Riley spoke.

"P--Please, Catherine. Please, tell Greg th--that I'm sorry." Riley's words were choked as she coughed, a bit of blood resulting. She laid her head back down, trying to release herself of the pain the seethed through her body. Catherine couldn't hold back her tears anymore. The paramedics were still bandaging and cleaning wounds and Catherine's body stiffened in fright as she watched Riley's breathing become unsteady.

* * *

Soft voices and bright lights woke the girls from their slumber. They opened their eyes to see the hospital room, a few nurses, and a doctor standing nearby.

The doctor, a tall blond woman, said to them, "Girls, my name is Dr. Lori Harnet. I'm glad to see you're awake. However, we need to run some more tests. During the tests, we think it'd be better for your bodies to get some rest; thus, we are going to give you some sedatives to help you along. By the way, two young men have been asking to see you, but we told them that it was your decision. Would you like them in here while you are asleep?"

Riley looked at Jaiden, who was still trembling and barely aware of anything going on, and shook her head. Jaiden made the same decision; however, she only inclined her head slowly.

Their eyes were on Dr. Harnet as she spoke with Warrick and Greg. Jaiden's pulse quickened dangerously as she watched horror overcome Warrick's face. Jaiden's heart felt like ripping in two and tears tainted her eyes, but Riley showed no emotion. The doctor entered again, and nodded to the nurses.

"Alright girls, say goodnight. You'll be awake again in a few hours once we finish our tests. Don't worry, you'll be alright."

* * *

Greg paced outside their room, exhausted from their continuous search. He hadn't even gone home since that night that they went missing, but he really didn't care. His eyes were dark and heavy, but he pushed himself to stay awake to make sure he was ready for any news the doctors would provide. He pressed his hands and face against the glass to try to see better, but a curtain had been drawn to keep their prying eyes out. His brows knit together in anger, and to keep from screaming, he bit his left hand. He didn't realize how hard he bit himself until he saw blood, and he sighed. Knowing something was wrong with Riley made him start to lose it.

Warrick came back from getting coffee to find Greg sitting on the hard carpeting of the waiting room, writing Riley's name on the wall in his blood. It took Warrick a moment to realize what was going on before he dashed over to him and pulled him away from his new creation.

"Greg, snap out of it! Hurting yourself is NOT going to make our girls any better any faster! And putting blood all over the walls isn't going to help much either. What's gotten into you?"

Warrick knelt down beside Greg, examining his bite marks. As much as he couldn't usually stand the level one CSI, he knew what he was going through, and sympathized with him. Greg just stared out the nearby window, refusing to look at Warrick. The part of him that was still sane didn't want him to cry in front of Warrick, and knew he would if he looked at him. He pulled away from Warrick and stood up, walking to the bathroom.

The bathroom was silent and cold as he walked in, but he disturbed the silence when he turned on the hot water. He rinsed the wound, not feeling the heat of the water or the sting of his cut. After he finished, he pulled out a few extra paper towels and wrapped them around his hand to try to slow the bleeding.

Holding his left hand in his right, he trudged to the stall and sat on the lid of the toilet, just staring at the floor. He didn't know how long he was gone, but Warrick soon wandered in to see if he was ok. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"You gonna be OK there? You know, Riley's not gonna want to see you like this, man," he said, trying to make Greg smile. Instead, Greg looked up at him, his face emotionless.

"How can you joke at a time like this? Do you know for sure they're going to be OK? I don't know about you, but I don't want to take any chances. I want to find that bastard who nearly took my life away from me, and I want to show him how it feels. I want to make sure he suffers more than people are supposed to suffer."

Warrick closed his eyes. "I want to find him too and beat the living daylights out of him, make his life flash before his eyes. But right now, I just want to make sure Jaiden is going to be fine. I keep thinking of how good it's going to feel to have her in my arms again, to kiss her smiling face again. I just wonder if she even thought about me while she was out there."

Greg stood up and walked up to him. He squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sure she did, Warrick. I'm sure she did."

The men left the bathroom and went to sit out on the couches of the waiting room. Greg's face became downcast when he saw a nurse kneeling on the floor, cleaning up his mess. He came up behind her, and said, "No, that's my fault. Let me clean it up."

He gently took the rag from her, and when she had left, he began to clean the wall off. When he had finished, Warrick pointed out that some was on the couch. Something in Greg's brain clicked, and he quickly sucked on the fabric. Warrick looked at him, disgusted.

"Greg, blood doesn't come out of fabric. Everyone knows that!"

He didn't answer right away, but kept at it until it was gone. "And everyone who's a chemist knows that you can take your own blood out of fabrics, because the enzymes in your saliva work with your blood and pull it up."

Warrick's mouth fell open. However, he still sat on the other couch, not wanting to be exposed to the spit.

* * *

It was dark in their room when Riley lifted her eyelids, feeling light-headed from the induced sleep. The window of their room was open, and the moonlight was shining through, illumination the room and giving it a feeling of sorrow. Jaiden was still asleep in the bed across the room, so Riley just pushed the call button for a nurse. When one arrived, she changed the IV quickly, and sent for the doctor to talk to Riley.

When Dr. Harnet arrived, she looked a little worried. She sat down in the chair next to Riley.

"I wanted to let you know that you will be just fine, Riley. You were drugged with ketamine, in a drink, most likely. However, there isn't so much as a trace left in your body, which will reduce the appearance of side effects immediately but you won't remember much, if anything, of what happened while it was in affect."

Riley looked over at Jaiden, who was beginning to stir to life. "What about her?"

"She has a mild form Panic Disorder, which is why she's been trembling and breathing hard. She had much more ketamine than you did; there is still a large amount left in her system. She won't remember anything either. We will need to prescribe some anxiety medication and perhaps require her to visit a therapist every now and then.

"Her Panic Disorder may last for the rest of her life, or maybe for a few months, I can't say which. Every case is different. But, I want you to try to help her get back to a normal life when we release you. Go do something that you used to do together, and remind her of the time when she was carefree and somewhat normal.

"She's really going to need your help, Riley. She is going to go through many moments where she feels lost, and will panic. You have to be there for her to let her know that everything is going to be fine. You're her best friend, correct? Then she's going to depend on you now more than ever. Help her, for both your sakes."

Riley nodded, shedding a few tears as Dr. Harnet spoke. Jaiden had woken up, and a nurse was helping her to the bathroom.

"By the way," Dr. Harnet added, "would you feel up to seeing Greg, I believe his name is, now? He's been asking for you ever since you were given the sedatives."

She smiled, and nodded excitedly. The doctor stood up and opened the door, motioning for him to come inside.

Riley had never seen him look so thin and exhausted. He had woken up to bad mornings, but this was no comparison. Her tears flowed freely when she saw him, and he slowly walked over to her, seeming almost afraid of her.

He reluctantly touched her face, his hand shaking with the utmost intensity. He was going to kiss her, but he looked at her again and began backing away, shaking his head and wiping his eyes. She called after him, but he didn't answer, just stared at her.

In uncertainty, she gingerly touched her own face, and felt all the bandages, cuts, scrapes, and swelling. _I must look like a complete monster_, she thought to herself, pulling the covers over her head and wept silently.


	8. Chapter 8

8

Jaiden felt woozy as she returned to her bed after using the bathroom. She was grateful to relieve the pressure that was building in her bladder. Her neck was aching and throbbing from sleeping in an upright position. She had glimpsed her face in a mirror in the bathroom and noticed that there was a decent amount of swelling in her right cheek. She had a few small cuts here and there, but nothing as serious as Riley had.

Jaiden glanced in the direction of her friend, who remained under the covers. From the way the cloth moved, Jaiden guessed that she was still crying, even though Greg had left the room. She didn't know why, but she felt as though she could pound Greg into the ground right then. She called for a nurse.

"I want to go and talk to that man, right there," she said flatly. The nurse blinked at her.

"You're not to leave bed unless it's to the bathroom," the nurse replied firmly. Jaiden scowled and started to get out of the bed on her own. It was a tricky matter; she was fairly drugged up, her steps were uncertain and wobbly. The nurse sighed in defeat, knowing that Jaiden wasn't going to stop unless she did what she wanted.

The nurse held her up by the elbow and led her and her IV out to the hall, where Greg was sitting, with his head in his hands. Jaiden removed herself from the nurse's grasp and stood over him. She was frowning, her eyes glittering with anger.

"You're disgusting," she hissed. Greg looked up at her, tears still streaming from his eyes. Jaiden didn't soften.

"There you are, feeling sorry for yourself while Riley is in there living in hell," she continued, her anger barely showing through her sedated state. "She was raped, she was beaten, and she was scared. You know what she kept telling herself while she waited to be taken into his room? Your name, you disgusting jerk. She wanted to be with you so badly and when she gets the chance to see you, you run away like a baby. She needs you more than ever and here you are crying over how horrible she looks!" Jaiden leaned dangerously to the left, but straightened herself.

"I want you to get you sorry ass in there and stay there with her. You are going to apologize for being selfish and you are going to stay there until she gets sick of seeing your sorry face!" Jaiden ordered firmly and fiercely. When he didn't move, Jaiden took the clipboard that a nearby nurse was holding and smacked him hard on the head to prove she was serious.

"Jeez, Jaiden, they've drugged you with coke or something," he mumbled as she marched him back into the room. Riley had begun to resurface when he re-entered the room and looked at Jaiden. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. She couldn't help but smile when Jaiden mouthed, "That felt good."

* * *

When Warrick returned from the bathroom, he was surprised to see that Greg wasn't in the hall weeping, as he had been earlier. He looked into the room across the hall where the girls were. Greg was there, talking to Riley, who was smiling a little.

His gaze wandered over to Jaiden's bed and was curious when he saw that her curtain had been drawn. When he saw that her silhouette was joined by a nurse's silhouette he assumed that she was bathing as much as she could. When the curtains were pulled back, Jaiden's hair was damp and she had begun to slide back onto the bed after bickering with the nurse about it.

Warrick couldn't help but smile. That was just like Jaiden. She couldn't sit still for more than five minutes without complaining about something. Jaiden looked at Warrick and said something to the nurse.

"Mr. Brown, Ms. Mooreland would like to see you now," the nurse said calmly. Warrick nodded and followed her into the room.

"Hey, there," he murmured, standing over her. He put his hand on her forehead and smoothed some of her hair back. Jaiden looked up at him and gave a meek smile. He stared into her eyes and realized that, for the most part, they were blank.

"Hi," she murmured back. She had started to get lost in his eyes when she felt her heart begin to race; it wasn't from being with Warrick. No, it was because she couldn't remember what she wanted to tell him. And then, she remembered parts, but not the whole thing. A bed, two men, one true and the other black and hard, ecstasy induced by lust, gray eyes fading into Warrick's green hazel ones.

Jaiden's breath came and went in panicked gasps. She couldn't remember, she couldn't understand why she couldn't think straight anymore. She felt like she was slipping under a thick blanket of ice and no one could hear her scream for help. She couldn't do anything anymore; she couldn't work, couldn't love, or even think. She wasn't going to make it out alive. _Oh, God, why is this happening?_ she thought.

Warrick snapped to attention the minute he heard her breath pick up speed. He dashed to the hallway and shouted for a nurse. Two nurses, one a man and the other a woman ran into the room and tried to calm her down. Jaiden had begun to inch her way up the bed, as if trying to escape something. The woman ran to the door and yelled for someone to call Dr. Harnet.

The blonde woman hurried into the room after being paged and ordered Greg and Warrick out of the room. "I need you to leave now!" she said sharply as she checked Jaiden's pulse, which was picking up speed. "I want some sedatives pronto!" she shouted to a nurse that was ushering the men out of the room. Riley craned her neck to see what was going on with Jaiden, but was disappointed when her curtains were drawn to prevent her looking.

The nurse who was sent to get the sedatives returned with a tray and handed the doctor the sedative. Dr. Harnet injected the clear liquid into Jaiden's IV and watched as her body slowly stopped moving as sleep overtook it.

The curtain was pulled back, and Riley saw Jaiden sleeping soundly again.

* * *

"Riley, can you remember anything distinctive?" Grissom asked Riley in the interrogation room. Riley sat there, knowing fully that the entire CSI team through the one-way glass panel on the opposite wall was watching her. She closed her eyes in thought.

She remembered being on the patio and drinking some champagne. Then she remembered falling to the ground with Jaiden. After that, everything came in the smallest of pieces; she remembered broken glass and a closed door. She recalled hitting someone and waking up with a light shining in her face for a moment. Then she recollected a lake. But she had already told Grissom this and he wanted more. She couldn't give him any more. _Damn ketamine,_ she thought bitterly as she opened her eyes and shook her head sorrowfully.

Grissom sighed and thanked her for trying. Riley stood up and left the room, passing Jaiden on the way out. Jaiden was seated near the door, her head resting against the wall behind her.

"He's waiting for you, Jaiden," Riley murmured as she passed. Jaiden inclined her head and entered the room Grissom sat in. Jaiden shuddered as she closed the door behind her. The room was small and uninviting.

"Good afternoon, Jaiden. Please, sit down." Grissom saw her small shiver and told himself to take it easy with the questions. She didn't need to suffer another attack of any kind. Jaiden complied and sat down across from him.

"Jaiden, I'd like for you to tell me everything that you remember about last Monday night," Grissom said gently. Jaiden snapped to attention at the sound of his voice and blinked.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" she asked innocently. She didn't recognize his face or his voice and was actually quite curious as to how he knew her name.

Everyone who was watching her from behind the glass stiffened immediately and a few people gasped. How could she forget Grissom? Jaiden seemed to have blanked instantaneously.

"I'm Gil Grissom, Jaiden," Grissom told her slowly. His brows were furrowed deeply; this development scared him. Jaiden was known to remember everything. She suddenly blinked and shook her head quickly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Grissom. I remember now," she muttered. "It's those stupid medications; they've got me on Prozac and some sleeping pills. This is why I hate doctors." Jaiden looked at him, her eyes full of recognition now.

"I see," he said slowly, as though he didn't believe her. Jaiden sighed and looked at the glass pane.

"You wanted me to tell you what I remember," she said, prompting herself. She continued to stare at the glass, as if she were looking for faces. She was really looking beyond the glass, as though she were using it as a reference point.

"I… I remember drinking. I didn't finish all of it. Then… then I remember something about red. And Brad Pitt, I remember Brad Pitt… I think. I don't know why, but I remember… it's strange really, but I remember a photograph. I think it was of a body of water… that's all I remember," she murmured. Her eyes were clouded over with thought and concentration.

Grissom took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. This was getting them nowhere. He let Jaiden go and was surprised when she paused at the door. She was looking at him, her eyes wide as she realized something.

"Gas cans." That was all she said right then. She leaned against the doorpost for support.

"Excuse me?" he prompted. Jaiden closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"The red, it was the gas cans that were red. There were four of them. I remember staring at them when Riley was gone." She looked at him, a small, triumphant smile on her face. Grissom smiled gratefully. Maybe now they'd get somewhere.

* * *

Riley and Jaiden had insisted profusely until Warrick and Greg consented just to get them to quiet down. Catherine had suggested returning to where the girls were found to see if they found anything that might lead them to the actual crime scene. She had gotten the coordinates from the helicopter pilot's log and showed them on a map where they had been found.

On the map, it was a blank space surrounded by a road and desert. This discovery only roused mounting frustration within the team. In hopes of calming nerves, Riley and Jaiden told them that if they saw where it happened, they might remember more about what happened.

They sat in the car quietly, knowing that if they said a word it would be possible for them to be thrown from the moving car. Jaiden stared out the window, hoping that something there would jog her memory. When they passed the Eagle Valley Reservoir, she screamed for the car to stop. Warrick slammed on the brakes, mainly because she had screamed in his ear and startled him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked as he glared at her. Jaiden leapt from the car and jogged past the thin spread of trees to the reservoir.

Everyone followed her; curious as to why she was so determined to get to the body of water that lay amidst the trees. Jaiden stood at the edge of the reservoir, a photograph in her hand. She was looking from the picture to the lake.

"This is what I remembered; the Eagle Valley Reservoir. This is what I remember seeing before I passed out," she explained to the confused CSIs. Catherine looked at the fair end of the clearing and saw matted grass in a circle.

"She's right. This is where we found them Wednesday. There's where the chopper landed," Catherine supported, pointing towards the grass impression. Jaiden's eyes met Riley's.

Riley shook her head. "Ketamine is a nasty thing for the memory," she said sorrowfully. Jaiden's gaze drifted towards her injured foot. Her mind clicked.

"All we have to do is follow my blood," she murmured. Warrick looked at her. She met his eyes and smiled a little. "I cut my foot before we were rescued. I was leaning on Riley for support." Nick grabbed his UV light and tried looking for blood, but got nothing.

"It's too bright, the UV light is useless now," he complained. He looked to the girls for help. Riley and Jaiden looked around.

"I didn't recognize the reservoir from this angle. If the chopper was there and I don't recognize the lake from this point, then that means we came from that way," Riley said, pointing towards a hill. She looked to Jaiden, hoping for encouragement. Jaiden looked at the hill and smiled.

"That's right. I remember looking down," she said, reassuring her friend. The group hiked up the small path that led up the side of the hill.

Jaiden stopped at the base of the hill. Warrick stood beside her, curiosity in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. He put his hand on her shoulder and pushed away some of her hair. She looked at him and smiled shamefacedly.

"I'm feeling a little dizzy," she confessed. "And my foot is disagreeing with my shoe choice." Warrick chuckled and stepped in front of her.

"C'mon, get on my back." Jaiden laughed as she allowed him to carry her up the slope on his back. Catherine had returned to see what was taking so long and smiled at the sight of Warrick giving Jaiden a piggyback ride. "You've lost some weight," Warrick pointed out as he continued to carry her after they had tackled the hill. The rest of the faction had stopped in front of a cabin-like building that was also a little elevated.

"Was I overweight before?" Jaiden asked, her tone chilling. Warrick laughed.

"No," he replied, avoiding the silent topic of her nonexistent obesity.

"Smart answer, bud," she said with a sniff. Warrick gave a small thrust with his legs, forcing Jaiden back up his back. She laughed again, with a little more embarrassment when they rejoined the group.

Jaiden slid off Warrick's back as they reached the door to the cabin. Riley and Jaiden went first, hoping that the sight of the door would strike their memories. The door was slightly ajar, a little more than halfway. A burgundy truck was parked at least 100 yards from the cabin.

Nick and Sara were still in the back, processing the broken glass they had found beneath a window. Catherine took Warrick over to the truck and started working on it. Grissom told Greg to call for some officers to secure the scene while he stood with the girls.

They were silent while the police officers cleared the building and the surrounding area. Grissom clutched his kit and opened the door further, allowing the girls to enter before him. "Please don't touch anything," he told them as they went through the door. Jaiden reached for Riley's hand when they had cleared the entryway.

The interior was dim and seemed to have been abandoned. The only source of light in the main room was through the windows, which were all along one wall opposite the door. One of the windows was broken and two pieces of black cloth lay beneath that particular row of windows. To Grissom's right was another door, which, he assumed, led to the bedroom.

Riley took a shuddering breath and stepped towards the windows. "This is it," she whispered. Jaiden nodded shakily and moved towards the bedroom door. She didn't touch it; she knew better than that. It was part of the crime scene.

Grissom merely watched and opened the door with a gloved hand. Inside the room, there was a small cot. Next to the cot was a large, gray duffle bag, which lay beneath a nightstand. A wheeled cooler sat in the far corner ominously. Jaiden stood behind him and noticed each object as he saw them.

"Jaiden, how many cans did you say you saw?" Riley's voice asked her from behind. Jaiden looked at her over her shoulder.

"Four, why?" she replied. Riley tilted her head in the direction of the door they had entered through. To the left of the door sat two red gas cans, where there should have been four. Grissom looked at the cans with a puzzled expression.

"Are you sure?" he asked Jaiden. Jaiden stared at him.

"Of course, I'm sure. That's the clearest thing I remember about this entire damn situation. He must have taken two of them or someone broke in! There _were_ four!" she said sharply before walking out of the cabin. Grissom and Riley stood inside, looking at each other.

Riley jogged out the door but was stopped by Warrick, who grabbed her arm. "Let her go; she needs to cool off a bit, I think," he said softly. Riley gazed at him and sighed as she started to walk in the opposite direction. Warrick followed behind, giving her some distance.

"She's completely different," was all Riley said. Warrick furrowed his brow; Riley was right, Jaiden had changed a lot after the unpleasant incident last week. She was short-tempered, forgetful to a fault, and refused to talk to anyone about it except when she had to. Even then, it was hard to get details. She had a lot more ketamine than Riley did.

"Maybe so, but we shouldn't give up on her; we shouldn't blame her. She's always had trouble dealing with traumatic events," he replied. Riley snorted.

"I don't think it has anything to do with the way she deals with things, Warrick. I think she's become selfish. Sometimes I wonder if she would be happier if she were the only victim so she wouldn't have to share the sympathy being given out.

"Any other time, she would have shot all the reports and photographers who've come up to us for pictures and statements. Now, she doesn't tell them to leave and makes the rest of us deal with them when she doesn't feel like getting out of the house. Honestly, Warrick, she's starting to get on my nerves!" Riley retorted angrily. Warrick listened to her patiently, although her angry words about Jaiden stung him a little. He knew, however, that she was right. Jaiden, although she would never admit to it, liked being in the limelight occasionally. He approached Riley slowly.

"Even so, she needs us. She needs you, Riley. You know better than anyone does that if she had been the only victim, she'd be in the morgue as we speak. You, Riley, you saved her and yourself when you could have left her behind. You dragged her down that hill to the reservoir when she was more than willing to collapse. You deserve the light and recognition.

"Jaiden hates being seen as weak or unable to help herself, which is why you rarely see her asking anyone for help when she's in trouble or why she cuts people off so they don't see how troubled she really is. She's human; we all do it sometimes. Don't give up on her, Riles, or else we may never get the real Jaiden back again," he told her comfortingly. Riley pushed some of her hair back and sighed harshly. He was right about Jaiden. Riley was willing to admit that much, she just wished Jaiden would get over herself and let her friends help her.

Riley embraced Warrick quickly, thankful that he was willing and patient enough to hear her out. Her mind raced back to the missing gas cans and she got an idea. "You know, there were only two gas cans inside when we went in a few minutes ago."

"Really?" Warrick asked, surprised. He had released her and was standing a friendly distance away again. He looked at her with interest. "I thought Jaiden said there were four."

"I think there were. But, remember when I said I remembered seeing a bright light before escaping? I think that might have been our guy leaving to fill up the cans. You said that you found a gas trail leading to the patio; maybe he knew he was leaking, so he went to go and fill up the gas tank before leaving again," she explained hurriedly before she lost the thought. Warrick thought a moment then smiled.

"I think you may have something there. Excuse me," he said as he rushed off to where Grissom was. Riley sat down in the grass patch she had claimed and relaxed. She had finally done what she had wanted to do all week; she helped someone with something.

* * *

Greg had found Jaiden's blood trail easily enough; he started where the broken glass lay scattered and moved in the direction of the reservoir. He occasionally swerved, as their movements swerved. He had photographed over fifty blood drops when he saw Jaiden sitting on the hill, her knees to her chest.

He looked back behind him, checking to see if anyone was following her. When he saw no one, he decided that now was as good a time as any to apologize for his blowing up at her last Sunday morning. He took his camera with him and approached her slowly, calling her name so that she knew he was there.

"Jaiden," he called, "you mind if I sit down here?" Jaiden looked at him briefly from over her shoulder and shrugged. Greg set himself down next to her, putting his camera and the yellow, photographic scales down next to him. He lay back in the grass, putting his hands behind his head.

"The sky is beautiful," he breathed. Jaiden didn't reply instantly.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" she murmured absently. Greg looked at her curiously. She was unusually quiet.

"What's up?" he prodded. Jaiden didn't look at him and hesitated when answering. She had been thinking about how she reacted when Riley and Grissom questioned her about the gas cans that were missing. She blew up at them for no reason; that was not at all like her. She could probably blame the medications, but she knew that she couldn't hide in their shadows for long. Jaiden scolded herself silently, telling herself to apologize later.

"It's nothing really. I just behaved a little more like a child than an adult a few minutes ago," she replied in a sigh. Greg could tell she didn't want to talk about it anymore by the way she shifted her gaze from the sky to the lake.

"Listen, I've been meaning to do this for a while, but you've been otherwise engaged," Greg said, changing the subject upon her subtle command. He, however, wasn't too eager to get the apology out in the open. Jaiden glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she prompted quietly. Greg took a deep breath.

"Well, I've had time to assess what a jerk I was at Ihop last Sunday when you and Riley were… you know—"

"Raped." Jaiden's voice remained calm, but he saw the bitterness in her eyes.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, Jaidey," he said quickly. He had used her childhood nickname without realizing that he had. Everything about that moment was reminiscent of their childhood. She was sitting and staring at nothing after being wrongly accused of doing something Greg didn't like. He was there, lying next to her, unsure of how to apologize properly and ended up spitting it out so quickly she might not have understood.

"You haven't called me that in a long time," was all he heard from her. Greg blinked; it was then that he realized he called her Jaidey. He was the one who had come up with it after he made the startling discovery that it rhymed with Spidey, who, at the time, was Greg's idol. He laughed sheepishly.

"You're right," he said, propping himself up with his elbows. Jaiden looked at him and gave a small smile.

"Who will not mercie unto others show, how can he mercy ever hope to have?" she asked. Greg looked at her blankly.

"What?" Jaiden giggled quietly.

"Edmund Spenser said that concerning mercy. I forgive you," she explained. Greg grinned.

"You think I can call you Jaidey from now on?" he asked her. Jaiden shot him a sharp look.

"Not if you expect to live to testify in trial; and I could care less if you have amazing evidence that may sway the jury's decision. You can shove that excuse up your—" Greg, taking advantage of their renewed friendship, pushed her hard enough to unseat her. When she was glaring at him from her position on the ground, he stood up and laughed.

His laughter, though joyful, came to an abrupt halt when her tennis shoe came in direct contact with his face.

"That's not fair!" he scowled. Jaiden gave him a smug look.

"Fair is foul and foul is fair!" Greg, caught up in the moment, was not hesitating to retort.

"I hope you mean your face!" Jaiden, furious, threw her other shoe at him, aiming for his face again and hitting him in the shoulder. Picking up both her shoes, he ran to the reservoir and threw both objects into the deep portion of the body. Jaiden shrieked as she watched her shoes struggle to remain above the water and eventually sink.

Greg, looking and feeling triumphant, collected his things and continued working. He didn't think about consequences until he saw the mass of officers and CSIs running towards her. _I'm screwed_, he thought desperately as he saw Grissom's face change from worry to frustration with a hint of disgust. _So screwed_, Greg thought.

"What happened? Jaiden, are you alright?" Grissom asked sternly. Jaiden, pushing herself up with a little difficulty, looked at Grissom sheepishly.

"So sorry, I slid on the grass and was startled, that's all," she said, a blush forming on her cheeks. Greg stared at her. She was covering for him and had no trouble at all convincing the others. She didn't look at him at all, as she lied flawlessly.

"Jaiden, where are your shoes?" Warrick asked, noticing for the first time that she was in only her socks. Jaiden looked him in the eye and lied to his face innocently.

"They're in the grass, just over there," she replied, pointing to a patch of tall grass. Greg saw something in Warrick's face twitch as he accepted the story. Greg felt his stomach drop: only Warrick knew how to tell if Jaiden was lying.

"Be careful, Jaiden. All right, everyone, let's get back to work," Grissom said loudly, his eyes fixed on Jaiden's calm face. "Greg, how's that trail coming?" he asked Greg suddenly. Greg's heart leapt with surprise at being addressed. He collected himself instantly and answered, "I'm almost to the end, I think. Just a few more minutes."

Grissom inclined his head and turned to usher the rest of the team from the area. Warrick lingered and looked at Jaiden pointedly. Jaiden sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "Greg pushed me. I threw my shoes at him. He threw my shoes in the reservoir. That's all," she snapped. Warrick rounded on Greg the minute he heard of his "friendly" shove. Greg stared at the ground.

"We were just having a little fun and I got carried away." _Oh, yeah, Greg, you idiot. He's definitely going to believe that one,_ he thought cynically. Jaiden rolled her eyes and sat back down in the grass.

"Can't you two be left alone for five minutes without killing each other?" Warrick asked with exasperation. Jaiden snorted and Greg dug his toe into the dirt.

"You sound like my mother," Jaiden said muttered. Warrick stared at her.

"How do you plan on getting around? I'm certainly not going to be carrying you around," he said to her. Jaiden tossed her hair.

"Where am I going? I'm not a CSI; I'm a civilian who happened to talk her way into getting here. I have no other purpose other than to offer my memories, which are as good as shot, need I remind you." Her tone was icy. She hated being the only one of the group who had nothing to do with solving crimes. It made her feel like an outsider. Warrick sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fine. Jaiden, you stay put until I can get away to take you home. Greg, I'll kill you after work; Grissom wants that blood trail. The two of you, stop fighting!" Warrick ordered. Jaiden didn't say a word, only looked at the ripples in the water. Greg, who bravely looked up from his shoes, nodded meekly. Warrick sighed and walked back to the truck where Catherine was waiting.

Jaiden lay back in the grass and closed her eyes. She was tired from arguing with Greg. She was aware that he was watching her as she slipped into sleep, but she didn't say a thing. Warrick was more than willing to murder Greg and, frankly, she didn't mind. He had just thrown $80 worth of shoes into the Eagle Valley Reservoir. That was a crime in itself.


	9. Chapter 9

9

Warrick knelt down and gazed at a single set of tire tracks tht was pressed into the dirt off the side of the pavement. He snapped a few pictures and dug into his kit for his casting materials. After mixing the plaster, Warrick poured it over the section of the tracks that he had enclosed and let it sit.

A few feet away, Warrick spotted another impression in the dirt. He took a few more photos and search in his kit for more plaster. When his search came up empty, he went over to Catherine, who was still searching the truck bed.

"Hey, Cath, do you still have any casting materials in your kit?" he asked. Catherine pointed to her kit absently, caught up in what she was processing.

"Yeah, near the bottom," she replied distractedly. Warrick thanked her and opened up her kit. He sifted through it and extracted her casting equipment.

As he waited for his second mold to dry, he examined the first. The track was too thin to be a car tire and it was in a single line. He guessed it belonged to some kind of motorcycle. He bagged it carefully and put it with his things.

Nick and Sara moved to the inside of the cabin after all the glass pieces had been bagged. "We'll dust for prints when we get back to the lab," Nick had sighed when he bagged the final piece.

As it was near evening, Sara decided to use the UV lamp in hopes of finding blood. Grissom was in the bedroom, processing as Nick joined him silently. Grissom was in the middle of dusting the cooler lid for prints when Nick took out his UV lamp.

"Don't bother. Our rapist wiped down the place; you can smell a faint aroma of bleach," Grissom told him without looking up. Nick ran a finger on the wall and sniffed it. Grissom was right; the bleach was there.

Grissom pulled a partial print off the cooler carefully and examined it. _It should be enough for comparison,_ he thought as he did.

He then proceeded to open the lid. A small triumphant smile crept onto his face; although the cooler contained no objects, it did have many blood stains along the sides. This evidence might help link the Phantom to the seven previous cases; at least, that's what he hoped.

He took out a swab and ran it along one of the stains. Grissom tested it for blood, just to be safe, and smiled even wider when the swab turned pink.

Nick had taken a sample of vaginal fluid from the bedsheets when he noticed a large, black case beneath the cot. Curious, Nick slid it out from under the cot and opened it. Inside was an assortment of medical equipment; everything from seringes that might have carried sedatives to saws sharp enough to amputate limbs.

He picked up one of the three saws and saw that there was an engraving on the handle. "Sunrise Veterinary Clinic," Nick murmured to himself. He bagged it and set it aside to bag the rest of the equipment.

* * *

The afternoon had passed by slowly, but it finally ended as everyone packed up and headed off. Grissom and Catherine headed off to the lab, along with Sara and Nick. However, the two couples were asked to go home for the evening. Riley climbed into the driver's seat of her car, Greg in the passenger's seat. He smiled at her, but she showed no emotion.

After an awkward silence, she sighed and glanced at him. "Greg, may I ask why you threw Jaiden's shoes in the reservoir? Are you trying to make our lives harder?"

Greg slid down in his seat, his expression similar to that of a puppy with his tail between his legs. He didn't look at her as he whispered, "I didn't mean to make a fuss. We were just joking around as we used to. I used to torment her something terrible, and she didn't care. Now she's all infatuated with her shoes, which really looked like they deserved to be drowned anyway, in my opinion."

Riley couldn't help but smile, but she knew she needed to confront him more. "Look, Greg, I think she's changed since you two were younger…she's changed even more since that night. I know you still have your playful self, but she doesn't. You gotta think about things a little more. If Warrick had done that to me, how would you feel right now?"

Greg scowled. "They were just shoes, big deal. I would've gotten you another pair."

"Greg, Warrick and Jaiden are higher class. They buy expensive things. Why? I don't know. But we still have to respect their things. Alright?"

He nodded slowly, still not looking at her. "Does this mean I have to go buy her another pair of shoes?"

Riley laughed, and he smiled too. "I'm gonna leave that up to you. Let your conscience tell you what to do, not me."

He blew a raspberry at her, but bit his tongue when they hit a pothole. "Ow, ma tonguesh!" he cried in a piteous tone, his words nearly impossible to comprehend. Riley just laughed as they pulled onto the highway.

* * *

Later that night, Greg was sitting in the bathroom, needing a quiet place to think. His nerves were next to shot, his hands shaking. He heard Riley walk by the door, and his reflexes proceeded to make him lean over the toilet quickly. When he finished, he rinsed his mouth with mouthwash, wanting to make a good impression while he had the chance.

Slowly, he emerged from the bathroom, fidgeting with something. Riley was sitting on the couch, a book in her hand, and he walked over to her. Looking up at him, she saw sweat dripping down his face, and cocked her head in wonder.

He bent down, trying to get on one knee, but his knees gave out, and he fell. Riley leaned over the couch to look at him to make sure he wasn't hurt. He winced a little, but smiled, holding out his hand. She went to grab it to help him up, but was surprised when she felt something in his hand instead. A small cardboard box sat on her palm, and she just sat there, staring down at it.

"Open it, if you think that you _really_ love me," Greg whispered as he climbed up next to her. She did, a little curious as to what it was. To her astonishment, a silver and diamond ring slid out when she tipped it.

"If you think that you really love me, then please say that you'll marry me." Riley looked at him, tears brimming in her eyes. "Look," he said softly, "I know that today was a little screwy, but the more I think about it, if you can say yes to marry me when I acted completely stupid only a few hours before, I know that you will always be there for me."

A tear finally fell down her face, and she leaned over against him. "Greg, I would be honored to marry you."

He smiled as he squeezed her against his body and kissed her tenderly, slipping the ring on her finger in the process.

* * *

"Hey, Nick," Grissom asked, "did you get prints from that black case?" Nick looked up from the ID print-off and grinned.

"Apparently, Mr. Gabriel Bronson was doing some moonlight operations," he replied, showing Grissom what he was grinning about.

"Is he related to Blake Bronson, the guy whose blood was on one of the previous victims?" Grissom asked, immediately interested after noticing the last name.

"Brother, in fact. Works at the Bellagio on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and the Sunrise Veterinary Clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays," Nick answered. Catherine strode up beside them, holding another print-off.

"You know how we found traces of ketamine in Jaiden's blood? Well, I've been doing some research and found that ketamine is legal in the United States and is used as an anesthetic for humans and animals. You'll find that it's mostly used on animals, though," she remarked. Grissom thought for a moment, and grinned.

"I think we ought to pay Gabriel Bronson a visit," Grissom said to them.

* * *

Grissom thought it would be best if the CSIs split into two groups; Warrick, Greg, and Nick went to the Bellagio, in case Gabriel Bronson was there. Grissom, Sara, and Catherine headed over to the Sunrise Veterinary Clinic. Lucky for them, it was a sunny Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas.

At the clinic, Grissom spoke with the receptionist, who told them that Gabriel's supervisor was with a patient, but would be paged immediately. After ten minutes of waiting, a man in his late thirties appeared.

"Good afternoon. I'm Dr. George Dobson, Gabriel's supervisor. How can I help you?" the man asked politely. Grissom shook his hand.

"We're looking for Gabriel in hopes of asking him a few questions about his brother," Grissom told Dr. Dobson with equal politeness. "Do you know where he is?" he added. Just as Dr. Dobson was about to answer, Catherine's cell phone rang. She excused herself and answered it quietly.

"Willows," she murmured into the mouthpiece.

"Bronson isn't here, Cath," Warrick's voice told her plainly. "He's off today."

"Right, thanks," Catherine replied. She relayed the information to Grissom who looked at Dr. Dobson, waiting for a reply.

"Gabriel took off for lunch, just a few minutes ago," Dr. Dobson said to them. Sara looked behind him and saw that the supply closet door was slightly ajar.

"Sir, do you keep all your surgical equipment in the supply closet?" she asked, her eyes on the door the whole time. Dr. Dobson looked at her curiously, but nodded.

"Yes, at least our new shipments are until we need them," he replied. "Why?"

"We have reason to believe that someone has been taking pieces of your equipment and giving them away," Catherine replied slightly evasively. "May we have a look in your supply closet?" she added politely. Dr. Dobson led them to the barely ajar door and opened it for them, revealing a surprised Gabriel Bronson amidst the surgical supplies. A black duffle bag lay at his feet, filled with a few pieces of utensils.

"I-I… uh…." Gabriel was stunned. Catherine gave him a wry smile.

"Yeah, we thought as much," she said as she grabbed him by the arm and handed him over to the pair of officers behind them. "Take him to Brass."

* * *

"So, Mr. Bronson," Captain Brass said calmly, "care to explain why you were stealing from the clinic?" Gabriel simply looked at the man.

"We found this at the crime scene at Eagle Valley Reservoir. Maybe you've heard of that place, it's where your brother goes and rapes women before killing them," Catherine said as she shoved a photograph of the saw in front of Gabriel.

Gabriel's veins in his forehead were throbbing then. "My brother didn't do anything," he muttered through gritted teeth. "Leave him alone."

Behind the one-way glass, Jaiden and Riley watched quietly. The girls saw the resemblance between Gabriel and the man who raped them, who, they learned, was called Blake Bronson. It was hard to miss, really, seeing as they were identical twins.

Riley, putting her skills to good use, composed a headshot of their rapist, using what she remembered of his face. When she showed it to Jaiden, her immediate reaction was, "Brad Pitt, that's why I remembered Brad Pitt! They look a lot alike!"

"I don't think we can, Gabriel. You see, he didn't get a chance to kill the recent prey. They ran off while he was getting gas for his truck, which we found at the crime scene too. And one of the girls happens to be a sketch artist and composed this for us," Catherine told him flatly, showing him the sketch of Blake. She also showed him Blake's driver's license picture, putting it right next to the sketch. You could tell that the sketch was of Blake; they were a perfect match.

"I always thought that those pictures never did anyone justice," Brass commented, motioning towards the driver's license photo. Gabriel was silent. "Not going to talk anymore? That's alright, we have enough evidence to get a warrant to search your house. You shouldn't have driven that motorcycle to work, bud."

"We found tracks that matched your tire treads at the crime scene, Mr. Bronson," Catherine explained. "That's a very bad thing for you and your brother."

Gabriel spoke up then. "You don't have anything to convict my brother of rape." Catherine gave him a knowing smile.

"I'm afraid we do. We found hairs in the truck, which was left at the scene. A partial fingerprint on the cooler containing numerous blood stains linking him to the other murders. A blood drop on the neck of one of the previous victims. And partial prints found on the handles of the surgical gear under the cot. That should be plenty to convince a jury that he's guilty. That and the eyewitnesses who supplied us with this sketch." Gabriel's face contorted slighty with anger. He was helpless; his brother was doomed.

* * *

"I want a group in the back and sides as well," Brass said the the officers that were around him. He strode up to the front door and knocked. He glanced over his shoulder to where the CSIs stood waiting to follow.

When nobody answered, he nodded at the two officers next to him, who forced the door open. "Las Vegas Police!" Brass shouted as he rushed into the room that lay before him. His gun was raised and he was ready to fire as he cleared the room. He headed into the kitchen, where a man was stooped over to look into the refrigerator.

Blake Bronson looked up and scowled. He dashed to the door next the the refrigerator, hoping to get away. Brass groaned and sprinted after him. When he cleared the door and made it into the back yard, Brass leapt and tackled Blake to the ground. Blake didn't stop struggling until Brass pressed the end of his gun into his neck.

"Now why would a group of officers bursting into your brother's home with guns scare you into running, Blake?" Brass asked as he handcuffed him. Blake said nothing as the officers who followed the racket escorted him to the squad car.

Brass got up slowly, rubbing his knees. "I'm getting a little old for this," he muttered as he followed the officers to the front. "Too old."

* * *

Jaiden was disturbed by the man's lack of regret. She knew better than to expect any but that didn't stop her emotions. When they had brought him in for questioning, Jaiden was sitting with Riley in the lobby. She only caught a glimpse of him, but that was enough to make her shudder.

"I'll be glad when this is all over," she muttered as they were escorted to the room next to where Blake Bronson being interrogated. Warrick and Greg were there, along with Sara and Nick. Catherine and Grissom had entered the interrogation room with Brass, determined to at least get a reason why out of him.

"I think we all will be, Jaiden," Riley replied. Jaiden stood close to the glass, her arms folded protectively across her chest. Warrick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and watched as the trio tried aimlessly to crack him.

"You know, we don't need a confession. The evidence does that for us. All we want is a reason as to why you attacked these women," Catherine said sharply.

"They represent those who raped you, don't they?" Grissom asked quietly. Blake shifted his gaze towards him. Grissom continued. "You thought that if you raped those who raped you, you'd feel better. It would get rid of the terrors within your mind; satiate the demons. But what I don't understand is why you switched their heads and limbs."

Blake looked at the glass pane, his face expressionless. "She would tear the heads off my stuffed animals and sew them onto a different body. Eventually she tore off the arms too, then the legs. I wanted her to know that what I was doing was for her."

Jaiden felt her eyes brimming with tears. It was as though he was looking right at her, threatening her. She felt her heart begin to race. "I need to get out of here," she gasped as she tried to breathe steadily. Warrick looked alarmed and helped her out of the room and outside into the sun.

Once they were outside, Jaiden buried her face into Warrick's chest. "I hate him," she sobbed. "I hate him, hate him." Warrick wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"He's going to pay, don't worry. The jury'll see to that," he murmured into her hair. "You'll just have to be patient for the next few weeks." Jaiden took a shaky breath, but refused to lift her head. "Then, everything'll be okay."


	10. Chapter 10

10

A few weeks later, things had started to settle down. Greg had thought over his choices concerning Jaiden, and decided he was going to get her another pair of shoes. However, he didn't know what size foot she had, or what she liked, so he gave her a gift card to DSW Show Warehouse instead. Jaiden decided to forgive him, as usual.

It was also time for the girls to get their mandatory checkup. Jaiden had decided to go first to get it done and over with. Riley sat in the waiting room of the hospital, twirling her thumbs as she tried to be patient. She smiled at the doctors and nurses as they went by, feeling exceptionally self-conscious, knowing that they all knew that she was one of the rapist victims.

Jaiden emerged from the room, a smile on her face. "I'm all good!" she told Riley as she gave her the thumbs-up. "I've got that psychological thingy in ten minutes, so I'll meet you for lunch, okay? The usual spot," she added checking her watch. Riley nodded. Stretching as she stood, Riley walked into the small white room, greeted by Dr. Harnet.

"Good morning, Riley. It's nice to see you again. Here is your robe; I'm going to leave to let you change, and I'll need a urine sample. I'll be back in a few minutes." Alone again, Riley slipped off her clothes and put the bare-behind hospital robe on. After she gave her urine sample, she sat on the cold table as she waited for the doctor, crossing her fingers that everything would be normal.

When Dr. Harnet returned, she asked her some of the general questions. "When is your birthday?"

"October 13th, 1982."

"When was your last period?"

"A little less than a month ago. I should be starting here soon."

After a few more questions, Dr. Harnet began the tests. Riley just zoned out, not wanting to think about anything. She closed her eyes, letting her mind find somewhere else to inhabit for the time being. Her thoughts drifted to that night, of how she was angry and frightened. She had let go of her bitterness from that day, but sometimes the images still haunted her dreams. She remembered how Greg's face looked the first night she dreamed about it. She had screamed and sat up, breathing heavily, and he bolted up too, his eyes still tired, but his mind alert and concerned. She smiled, thinking of how she had yet to tell Jaiden of their engagement.

She came back to reality when she heard the doctor shut the door as she went to process the information. She sighed in relief that nothing had been too excruciatingly painful.

The doctor came back in, her face rigid with tension. "Riley, I have some news, and it isn't looking good." Riley looked at her, silently questioning her words. "The tests came back. You're pregnant."

Riley gulped loudly, the blood draining from her face, leaving her looking sickeningly pale. Her skin became chilled, and her eyes opened wide. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably, and her voice quivered as she whispered, "P-pregnant?"

Dr. Harnet nodded with a sense of regret. "Yes. I didn't believe it either at first, but I tested it three times, and every time it's positive. There's no denying it."

Riley said nothing, and the doctor knew that there was nothing more she could do for her, so Dr. Harnet left her to get dressed again.

* * *

The two girls sat in a small restaurant, eating their food and conversing. Riley had put on her "Happy-Face", that way Jaiden didn't know she was completely devastated inside.

"So, tell me, what's been going on lately? I haven't gotten to talk to you much these past weeks," Jaiden asked while reaching for her glass.

Riley thought for a moment before responding. "Well, you know that night that we went back to the reservoir? Greg asked me to marry him when we got home!" Jaiden struggled not to spray her soda all over Riley.

"He proposed and you didn't tell me sooner! Some friend you are!" Riley blushed a little and smiled.

"Well, we've been sort of preoccupied, with statements and stuff. I just never found the time."

"Yeah, yeah. So was it really romantic?" Jaiden tossed her hair back over her shoulder.

Riley shrugged. "It wasn't what I had expected, but it was very sweet. He came out, and I think he was trying to get on one knee, but he fell backward. I reached out my hand to help him up, and he slips this little cardboard box in my hand, and then says, 'Open it, if you think that you _really_ love me.' I did, and it was this beautiful ring," she said, showing off the ring. "And then he said that if I could agree to marry if after the odd day we had, then he knew that I really loved him and would always be there for him."

Jaiden grinned. "Sounds like he really wants to be with you. I don't know how you did it, but congratulations. I can't believe you can stand to deal with him all the time."

"He's not as bad as everyone seems to think. He's a real sweetie when he wants to be, and _so_ cute. I don't know what I'd do without him."

* * *

Riley sat on her bed, getting ready to go to sleep. She was undressing when she looked over in their full-length mirror. She saw herself standing there, in her matching black bra and bikini underwear.

With a sigh, she gently slid her hand over her still-slender stomach. As she did, she tried to decide whether to tell Greg that she was carrying the baby of a criminal.

He walked in the room in his boxers, slowly approaching her. He caressed her arm, and gently kissed her bare shoulder blades. She decided against telling him as he kissed her passionately.

* * *

"They're engaged you know," Jaiden said suddenly. Warrick propped himself up with his elbow and looked down at her.

"Who?" he asked as he stroked her arm gently. Jaiden shifted her position in the bed so that she was looking up at him. She was dressed in a white camisole and pink, satin shorts. The intimate aspect of their life together had been put on hiatus since the rape. Warrick didn't mind; he knew she wanted to get over the traumatic event first. It was only natural for her to be a little hesitant after such an incident.

"Greg and Riley," she replied. "Happened after our visit to Eagle Valley Reservoir." Warrick inclined his head. Inside, he was worried. Did she know what he was planning? Was she expecting something to happen?

"You said that Greg applied for that promotion?" she asked. Warrick blinked. She had completely changed the subject.

"Yeah, he wants to be a CSI Level Two, now," he replied quietly. Jaiden smiled a little. "Why?" he added.

"I think he deserves it now," she murmured. "They could use the extra money." Warrick kissed her gently.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered. Jaiden blinked with surprise.

"Why?"

Warrick smiled and kissed her again. "You're starting to think better of Greg," he replied. Jaiden shrugged.

"He's still annoying, but that doesn't mean I can't hope for the best for him," she murmured as she looked out the window that let in the city lights. She closed her eyes and sighed. _Tomorrow I put my life in the hands of the jury,_ she thought. _God be with them._


	11. Chapter 11

11

Riley's hand shook as she sat in the overheated courtroom, a lawyer pacing in front of her. Over and over, he questioned her about what she remembered, making her go into great detail on everything. She didn't want to relive the nightmare time and time again, but she knew she'd have to in order to put this guy behind bars.

Looking up into the crowd, she saw all the other CSIs, waiting, watching. She didn't see Jaiden, wondering if they were keeping her out in order to make sure that each one had said their own story, not using bits and pieces from each other's version. As she scanned the faces staring at her, she paid special attention to the look on Sara's face. In all her time knowing Sara, Riley had learned that Sara was quite the head case when it came to rape and domestic violence, and it showed now as she stared at Riley with tears in her eyes.

"Is it true, Miss Porter, that Mr. Bronson drugged you into the adjoining bedroom and violently raped you?" The lawyer paced more, glancing up at her occasionally after interrupting her train of thought.

"Yes, that is true."

"Did you try to stop him even though you were sedated with…what was it…ketamine?" he asked, flipping through the case file, glancing quickly at her between each piece of paper.

She nodded her head. "Yes, it was ketamine, and yes, I did try to stop him. When he put me on the floor, he crouched over me, and I struck him on the left side of his head while my wrists were bound."

"I see. Now, you said earlier that he raped you. By this, you mean he had intercourse with you, correct?"

Riley' raised an eyebrow, unsure of where his question was leading. "Yes, that is correct."

"Now Miss Porter, when you were informed of your pregnancy, were you informed of the fact that Mr. Bronson is sterile?"

Riley's eyes widened in relief. _If Blake is sterile, _she thought to herself,_ then that means it's not his baby: it's Greg's. _Then she realized that Greg now knew. She looked at him, and leaned over the stand towards him when she saw him hyperventilating, whispering incoherently as she did. Warrick's eyes were wide as well, the same look on his face as all the other CSIs, save for Grissom. He just looked away, knowing that not telling anyone his discovery was a bad idea.

"No," she whispered, a cross of anger and sorrow filling her soul.

The lawyer saw her hurting, and dismissed them, asking for a recess.

As everyone filed out of the room, Riley didn't move; she just sat there in her chair, silently sobbing to herself. After a few minutes, only she and Greg were left in the room. He sat in his chair, staring down at his feet, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him.

"So you're pregnant?" he asked softly, looking up at her for a moment. Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she nodded.

"Yeah. I found out the day of my checkup, a few days after you proposed to me. I didn't want to tell you, because I automatically assumed it was the rapist's baby, and I was afraid that if I was bearing his child, you wouldn't want to marry me anymore." She stood up and walked over to him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "I'm sorry Greg. I wasn't trying to shock you like this. I didn't even know they'd bring this up during the trial. Please, don't be mad at me. I love you very much."

Greg was silent, his eyes closed. "I don't know what I feel. In a way, I'm relieved that you aren't carrying his child, in another way I'm terrified to think that I'll be a father soon, and I'm disappointed in you for thinking that I would turn you away." He looked up at her. "Riley, don't you know me better than that? I told you when we first started going out that you could tell me anything. Did you believe me?"

"I know I can tell you, I was just afraid to. This wasn't an easy thing to deal with. I was so scared. I just wasn't thinking clearly." She laid her head against his chest, leaving wet spots from her tears.

He pulled her closer to his body and smiled down at her. "Do we know if it's a boy or girl?"

"I don't know yet. I think it's a little too early to tell."

"Well, then we're going to have to start thinking of names for both sexes. How about Greg Jr.?"

She smacked him hard as she laughed, and he nipped at her ear playfully.

* * *

Jaiden sat in the small room she was designated to until her time to testify. She wrung her hands a bit out of nervousness and fear. _What if my statements aren't good enough to put him away? What if they don't believe me because of my ketamine overdose?_ Although she thought it a nasty habit, she began chewing on her index fingernail. After a few minutes, she looked down at it, and it looked terrible. Warrick would question her about it, but at that point in time, she didn't care.

Suddenly, the bailiff walked in, her escort to the courtroom. She slowly followed him, fear welling up inside her. Her eyes widened as she entered through the large wooden doors, everyone now back in session after the short recess, everyone looking at her as she walked by. Panic seized her mind, and she began to perspire a bit. Her breathing was heavy as she made her way up to the bench. Warrick sat in his chair, watching her closely to make sure she was alright.

Leaning over to Grissom, he whispered, "Do you think she'll be alright? Will they accept her testimony?"

Grissom's eyebrows furrowed as he frowned. "I don't know Warrick. I certainly hope she'll do alright. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

As she sat at the bench, Jaiden continuously ran her fingers through her long black hair nervously. The District Attorney stood in front of her, his hands behind his back as he spoke.

"Miss Mooreland, do you remember anything about the night you were raped?"

Jaiden breathed deeply, slowly, before answering. "I remember some things. The ketamine in my system only gave me some of my memory from that night. When the CSIs first questioned me, I said something about gas cans, and Brad Pitt, and a large body of water. They put it together to add more to the story."

"Miss Mooreland, Mr. Bronson denies raping you. He said that the entire escapade was a mutual agreement between the two of you. He says you didn't struggle, you never told him no. To put it in his terms, you…" the lawyer paused to look at Bronson's statement before continuing. "Ah, yes, he said you seemed rather aroused and excited by the idea. Do you agree with this statement?"

Silent, Jaiden just sat there, staring blankly out at the crowd. "Miss Mooreland?"

"He tricked me," she murmured, a sob threatening to take over. "I was still affected by the ketamine, and I was hallucinating. I-I, I thought that it was my boyfriend I was with, not him. Mr. Bronson is correct in saying that I was getting into it, but I didn't mean to. I mean, I thought he was Warrick! I was reliving a memory; at least, it started out as a memory. Then it became its own reality. If I had known that it wasn't who I thought it was I would've struggled so much to get away."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some of the jury members raise and eyebrow at her statement. _They aren't believing me,_ she thought desperately. The world then started to spin slowly; she felt a wave of panic rush through her.

"I need air," she gasped. Without waiting for a dismissal, Jaiden stood up and ran out of the courtroom, bursting though the doorway and into the hall. For a moment, all Warrick did was watch in horror as Jaiden ran out, but soon he was on his feet and following her, more than one thing on his mind.


	12. Chapter 12

12

"The judge granted a fifteen minute recess," Warrick told her as he approached. His hands were in his pockets, his right hand playing with the velvet box that now seemed to weigh a ton. Jaiden was sitting down on a nearby bench, her breathing slowly returning to normal. When she gave him no response, he crouched down in front of her and took both her hands in his.

"Baby, talk to me," he murmured imploringly. Jaiden turned her head away, refusing to comply. Warrick sighed.

"Jaiden, I love you more than anything, you know that. Just because you were hallucinating through the entire experience doesn't mean that I'm going to drop you as if you are damaged goods. I'm here for the long haul. I could care less who you were thinking of; you could have imagined you were with Johnny Depp, for all I care. You're here, right now, safe and where I can protect you.

"Jaiden, look at me." Jaiden turned her head slowly and looked at him, tears in her eyes. "I love you. And" — Warrick shifted his position so that he was now on one knee— "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Jaiden, will you marry me?" he asked her, presenting her with the diamond engagement ring he had bought her. Jaiden's eyes widened slightly when she saw the ring, but the tears in her eyes didn't rush down her face in a torrent of joy, as he expected. She didn't whisper praises to God. In fact, she didn't really react at all.

"You've had that thing for two months and you ask me during a rape trial." It wasn't a question; it was a statement of disbelief. Warrick felt his heart shatter into a million pieces and it showed on his face. When her full comment registered in his head, Warrick frowned.

"How did you know I had it for two months?" he asked seriously. Jaiden smiled then.

"How many times have I asked you to empty you pants pockets before putting them in the hamper?" she asked in reply. Warrick's face reddened and a small shadow of mortification darkened his face.

"I didn't," he pleaded to himself. Jaiden laughed a little and nodded.

"I didn't say anything because I knew you wanted the moment to be special. I didn't expect it to happen here of all places." She stood up then, taking his hand and helping him up as well. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to marry you. In fact, I'd be glad to," she added with a shining smile. Warrick returned her smile as he felt his heart beat heavily. He slipped the ring onto her finger.

"It's beautiful, by the way." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. Warrick, his mind overtaken by elation, wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her off the floor, and spun her around. Jaiden laughed and touched her forehead with his. Warrick set her down and took her hand in his.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards the courtroom. Jaiden shrugged and rested her head against his arm.

"You know what?" she asked as they approached the doors. Warrick looked down at her.

"What?" Jaiden looked up at him briefly and smiled mischievously.

"I'd rather sleep with Orlando Bloom than Johnny Depp, come to think of it," she teased as she sped up her pace to talk to Riley before the trial started up again.

"Yeah, you better keep walkin'!" he called after her. He sighed and shook his head, a small smile on his face.

* * *

"Your Honor, we, the jury, find Blake James Bronson guilty on all charges."

Waves of relief rushed through Riley and Jaiden as they sat with their fiancés. Although several cases forced the CSIs to leave the girls on their own on some days, everyone who worked on the serial rape cases appeared for the indictment.

Everyone stood as the judge dismissed them. The DA shook everyone's hands and paused when he came to Riley and Jaiden. "He's going to get a minimum of 2 life-sentences without parole. He might even get the death penalty," he told them kindly. Jaiden looked at Riley, who seemed to be thinking the same thing she was.

"If at all possible, we don't want him to get the death penalty," Jaiden informed him quietly so Warrick and Greg didn't hear. The DA blinked in surprise.

"We want him to have to live with the fact that he let two of us get away," Riley piped up. The DA smiled at them warmly.

"I'll see what I can do, ladies," he told them as he said good-bye. Jaiden glanced at Riley.

"Now that's a perfect lawyer," she murmured in admiration. Riley laughed.

"Hey, you're engaged now, remember?" she said as she prodded Jaiden in the arm. Jaiden wrinkled her nose at her and went over to Warrick, who had started for the parking lot. Everyone followed suit and once they were outside, continued to congratulate everyone.

"This has to be the best case we've solved all year!" Nick exclaimed as he hugged Warrick.

"Not to mention the most personal," Sara chimed in. She was standing near the girls, who were chatting mildly. In the middle of their conversation, Riley yawned.

"You should go home and rest," Jaiden told her chidingly. "I think Greg wants that baby in perfect health so he can impose all his unethical habits on it." Riley smiled and hugged her.

"That's why you're going to be making regular visits to sanitize the baby's brain," she laughed. Jaiden sighed and walked over to Warrick, entwining her fingers with his.

"I have a villa in Milan, you know," she said to him. Warrick looked at her curiously.

"What?" he asked. Jaiden smiled.

"The honeymoon, baby, the honeymoon," she murmured before kissing him. "It cuts down on expenses, anyway."

"If you two are finished sucking each others' faces off, Grissom has an announcement to make," Nick told them teasingly. Jaiden gave him a withering look and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

Grissom cleared his throat. "First off, I want to congratulate everyone for doing a fantastic job on the case. Secondly, I want to congratulate the couples on their engagements." Everyone cheered and shouted random congratulations.

"Thirdly," Grissom continued, "I want to congratulate Greg on his promotion to CSI Level Two. You'll be getting your paycheck in the mail with the bonus." Greg's jaw dropped.

"L-Level Two? Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "I haven't even complete 100 cases yet!" Grissom squeezed his should gently.

"You worked hard on this case, Greg, and that's what determined your promotion. Despite your personal ties with the victims, you worked flawlessly. Congratulations," Grissom explained. Greg was swarmed by his coworkers and had warm embraces imposed upon him.

"Congrats, man!" Nick said as he clapped him on the back. Warrick gave him a partial hug.

"Yeah, good job!" he said with a smile. Sara and Catherine covered him in hugs and kisses to the cheeks.

"Good work, Greg, " Sara cheered.

"Congratulations," Catherine breathed. Riley, tears in her eyes, approached him with a smile.

"Good work, baby," she murmured. Greg kissed her lovingly and wrapped his arms around her waist so he could lift her. When he did, he spun a little, earning a laugh from the crowd. He set Riley back down and saw that Jaiden had detached herself from the group. She was smiling at the sight of them, her digital camera in hand.

Everyone quieted down as Greg approached Jaiden. "Congratulations, Greg," Jaiden said to him warmly. She kissed him on the cheek softly.

"You know, if I was seventeen again, I would have died from elation," he told her honestly. Jaiden smiled and returned to the group.

"I think we should get a group picture," she told them. The group consented and listened to Jaiden as she arranged them. When they were finished, Jaiden asked a passerby to take their picture.

Jaiden quickly took her place between Grissom and Warrick, then glanced at Greg. He seemed to be glowing with happiness.

"'There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life,'" she murmured, mostly to herself. Grissom glanced at her.

"'Nothing changes your opinion of a friend so surely as success – yours or his.'" Jaiden didn't say anything, only smiled as the camera flashed.

**The End**


End file.
